Donald Trump and White House officials walked back a Friday announcement that there would be tariff exemptions on imported electronics.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump directly denied the tariff exemption announcement.

“This is really mind-boggling. If this was serious industrial policy, the main thing you want is certainty: ‘Here’s the tariff, it will be in place for the indefinite future, and you should plan accordingly,’” Dean Baker, an economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a left-leaning think tank, said, according to The Washington Post. “Here, it’s basically: ‘Come back next week and see what we’ve got.’ That’s no way to run an economy.”

  • TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I’m not surprised that this is how the second Trump administration has started. This level of stupidity is exactly what I was expecting. What does surprise me, though, is that many tens of millions of people voted for this. Honestly, it’s shaken my commitment to democracy. Maybe the people shouldn’t be making important decisions.

      • TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        I think that’s a good idea, but, unfortunately, if put to a vote, I’m confident the American people would vote against it.

      • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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        6 days ago

        I don’t think that what K-to-12 schools are capable of teaching even in the best-case scenario can be sufficient to equip the average person with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to, for example, evaluate complex economic policy on its merits. I have a STEM PhD but it isn’t in economics and I don’t think I can evaluate economic policy well - I go with the consensus of economists, but that’s easy for me because I think their best interests and mine are aligned. (I want to see the stock market go up.) I’m not sure what a person whose interests are not aligned with the economists’ is supposed to do… Listen to ignorant demagogues who promise everything, apparently.

    • Ledivin@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      …stupidity? 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

      They’re intentionally crashing the economy so they and all their billionaire buddies can buy everything up for cheap. Everything is going literally exactly as planned.

      • cmbabul@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        I was one to agree with you for a time, but at this point I’m not even sure what the plan could actually be, US treasury bonds are taking a big hit because of this shit and the global economic order is shifting to exclude the US and could even endanger the dollar as the world reserve currency. That’s a change so seismic no one could even predict what it would mean for anyone. If that’s his intention then whoever came up with the plan is stupid beyond all imagining

        • KnightontheSun@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          I won’t go russian to judgement or putin the blame on anyone, but some people that love to sow chaos and take down the US do come to mind.

    • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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      6 days ago

      Before the election, I saw a house flying a big flag with the words “Elect Trump King of the United States”. So, uh, maybe monarchy would turn out to be even worse…

      With that said, I understand how you feel. I don’t know how democracy can work in a post-truth era.

      • Photuris@lemmy.ml
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        6 days ago

        Y’know, if America had a constitutional monarchy, it might actually work out just fine. Let Trump be the king, so he can rant, do ceremonial stuff, be in the news all the time, have his fans, cause controversies, &c.… meanwhile the real elected government would be quietly busy attending to the people’s business.

    • obvs@lemmy.world
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      The US was never a democracy to begin with. It was a government designed to benefit one very particular small but powerful minority.

      It’s just that now it’s come out of the closet.

      It’s strange that it would happen now, at a point when literally every job can be automated(or will be automatable within the next 5-10 years).

    • daddycool@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Democracy is the power of the majority. Now think of how stupid the avarage person is and realize half of them is stupider than that.

    • aname@lemmy.one
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      6 days ago

      Well, cutting all the education budget and expecting a good rational voting from a bunch of uneducated people is a lunacy.

      Also, it is well known that democracy is not optimal, but we don’t have anything better.

    • MuskyMelon@lemmy.world
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      What surprises me is that tens of millions still think he’s doing the right thing even as he makes the country look like fools.

  • emergence_trailblazer@sh.itjust.works
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    6 days ago

    The USA is definitely a joke now. It’s just that everyone is laughing nervously. We are afraid that falling so fast from top to bottom will bring the system down.

  • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    You know, this may really piss off some folks who got an early notification that there would be an exemption for electronics. You know, his insider trading buddies. It will be interesting to see who gets the angriest about this last minute change.

    On April 11, 2025, traders placed large, targeted call option bets on Apple. That evening, the Trump administration quietly exempted smartphones from tariffs, news not publicized until April 12. These trades weren’t speculation - they were placed before the memo was released.

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    6 days ago

    The AP source title is: Trump’s commerce secretary says new electronics tariff exemptions are temporary, chip tariffs coming

    The part that’s been denied is that the exclusion is permanent. Since Friday, electronics from China would be subject to 20% of the fentanyl tariff and nothing more. It will be this way until Trump invents another tariff just for electronics. I believe this is what most commentators expected back in Friday, but there must be talks of capitulation and Trump couldn’t stand to lose face.

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      6 days ago

      Crazy that someone checked the facts and shares about it and 3 hours later only has 5 upvotes including the one I just gave. Thank you. Maybe next time you should begin your comment with # HERE IS THE CONTEXT GUYS!

    • DaddleDew@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Every movement of the stocks can be used to make money if you know it’s coming. These guys are making hand over fist with insider trading fraud.

      • MelonYellow@lemmy.ca
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        6 days ago

        IMO he probably knows he’s gonna die soon, so this 2nd term is all about locking up money for his kids.

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          😂 Thats actually hilarious, if the kids are getting rich it’s a by product. Trump has never cared about anyone but himself.

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            6 days ago

            It is kind of hilarious lol I just figure what’s the point of accumulating all this wealth

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    6 days ago

    This isn’t even a subtle attempt to destabilize the world market, and yet so many people are just like

    • huppakee@lemm.ee
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      I think you’re confused. They make up their mind all the time, then check if everyone sold/bought stocks and than they make up their mind again. Then they check if everyone sold/bought stocks and on and on.

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    6 days ago

    And the sell off of our debt will pick up speed. These idiots are going to crash our economy and anyone left holding the bag.

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    5 days ago

    Is it just me or is anyone else reminded of Pahpshmir out of the Naked Gun movies by this disgusting man?

  • sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.works
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    6 days ago

    They walked back again today and said the exemption is for the additional 120% tariff but the 20% imposed earlier still applies

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    5 days ago

    Stock market doesn’t believe his truth social report it seems. Apple shares are still up mid morning.