Latest news with #SalutetoAmericaCelebration
Newsweek
08-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Here Comes the Bribe. What To Do About the $16M CBS Is Paying Donald Trump
Incredibly, it's happened. In broad daylight, amid credible claims of corruption, CBS has agreed to pay President Donald Trump's library $16 million for Federal Communication Commission (FCC) approval of a broadcast license transfer. The courts should do something about it. Don't listen to those saying it isn't so. It's true that Trump's lawsuit doesn't say, "please pay me a bribe." But it may as well have. It accuses CBS of unfair trade practices for a small edit Trump said made Kamala Harris look good. It's also true that CBS doesn't admit to paying a bribe. CBS said it was settling to protect its reputation and save legal costs. But it also said the settlement will allow CBS parent Paramount to "focus on their core objectives." President Donald Trump dances as he leaves the stage after speaking at the Salute to America Celebration at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3, 2025. President Donald Trump dances as he leaves the stage after speaking at the Salute to America Celebration at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3, 2025. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images That objective, as anyone who can count to 16 should know, is to secure FCC approval to transfer the CBS news license from Paramount to its would-be purchaser, Skydance. Right now, its idling at the FCC under the control of its chairman, Trump loyalist Brendan Carr, who was also presides over an FCC complaint identical to the Trump court claim. Watch. Now the complaint will go away, and the license will be granted. Carr will probably say he and Donald Trump never spoke about it. Maybe that's true, maybe not. But of course, they didn't have to. Carr has heard all he needs through the media. CBS wants approval. Trump wants cash. The lawyers may also say they didn't discuss the license during settlement negotiations. Maybe they just talked about the need to "restore good will" between CBS and Trump and other coded things like that. Who knows? But we know what they were after, and so did they. How can we be so sure? It's because, as lawyers, they had to know that in the history of American courts there have been few cases that have been bigger stinkers than this one. If a politician in a country guaranteeing free speech can successfully sue the media for making his opponent look too good then we should be suing our neighbors for favoring other neighbors over ourselves and suing politicians for making an utter mess of the country. Nothing's too far out. Ask yourself: Would CBS have paid this money if Trump had lost the election? Of course not, and that and the lawsuit's absurdity tell us the money can only be a bribe. As Sherlock Holmes might have put it, with the other reasons for the settlement being impossible, the remaining possibility is the real reason. CBS and Trump know this is so, no matter how slippery and mob-like they have been in avoiding the "B" word. So, it's corruption. But, "c'mon" you might say, hasn't Washington always been corrupt? Well, "c'mon," right back at you. Everything is—a little. Corruption in government is like water—or sewage—filling a glass. A member of Congress calls a federal agency to help a friend—or a donor. Pour a little in. A senator's son gets a good paying job working for a defense contractor. Pour in a little more. A senator takes expensive gifts from people doing business with the government. The glass overflows. Former Senator Robert Menendez goes to jail. Now aim a firehose at the glass and let it rip. That's the Trump level of corruption. When Trump cut Vietnam's tariffs by more than half last week Vietnam had just approved $1.5 billion of projects for the Trump Organization. Have you forgotten the $400 million plane? The meme coins? The White House crypto coin auction? Millions from Meta to settle a bogus lawsuit? Millions from ABC to settle a bogus lawsuit? Millions to Melania from Jeff Bezos? Watches? Guitars? Bibles? All of it to benefit Trump personally. Let it stop with CBS. The judge should delay action on any motion to dismiss the case until the FCC decision. If it's favorable to CBS, the judge should hear testimony under oath about the negotiations for purposes of policing the ethics of the lawyers involved with the case. If the court won't do it, legal ethics boards should. If they don't, Congress should. The truth about these shabby dealings should have consequences. Thomas G. Moukawsher is a former Connecticut complex litigation judge and a former co-chair of the American Bar Association Committee on Employee Benefits. He is the author of the book, The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce It. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Sinar Daily
07-07-2025
- Business
- Sinar Daily
US tariffs to kick in Aug 1, barring trade deals
The president told reporters Sunday he had signed about a dozen letters to inform countries of rate hikes, to be sent out on Monday. 07 Jul 2025 11:29am US President Donald Trump steps on stage to deliver remarks at the Salute to America Celebration at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3, 2025. - (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) WASHINGTON - US tariffs will kick in on Aug 1 if trading partners from Taiwan to the European Union do not strike deals with Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday. The rates will "boomerang back" to the sometimes very high levels that President Donald Trump had announced on April 2 -- before he suspended the levies to allow for trade talks and set a July 9 deadline for agreements, Bessent told CNN. Bessent confirmed comments by Trump to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday in which he also cited a new deadline: "Well, I'll probably start them on Aug 1." The president told reporters Sunday he had signed about a dozen letters to inform countries of rate hikes, to be sent out on Monday. "I think we'll have most countries done by July 9, either a letter or a deal," Trump told reporters Sunday, adding that some deals have already been made. Standing at his side, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed tariffs would kick in on Aug 1, "but the President is setting the rates and the deals right now." The tariffs were part of a broader announcement in April where Trump imposed a 10 percent duty on goods from almost all trading partners, with a plan to step up these rates for a select group within days. But he swiftly paused the hikes until July 9, allowing for trade talks to take place. Countries have been pushing to strike deals that would help them avoid these elevated duties. So far, the Trump administration has unveiled deals with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, while Washington and Beijing agreed to temporarily lower staggeringly high levies on each other's products. Bessent said the administration was "close to several deals." "I would expect to see several big announcements over the next couple of days," he said. But he would not say which countries he was referring to, adding: "I don't want to let them off the hook." - 'Maximum pressure' playbook - Aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said sending notices would be much easier than "sitting down and working 15 different things... this is what you have to pay, if you want to do business (with) the United States." Bessent pushed back at CNN host Dana Bash's assertion the administration was using threats rather than negotiations, and denied that Trump was setting a new deadline with the Aug 1 date. "It's not a new deadline. We are saying, this is when it's happening. If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate, that's your choice," he said. He said the playbook was to apply "maximum pressure" and cited the European Union as an example, saying they are "making very good progress" after a slow start. EU and US negotiators are holding talks over the weekend, and France's finance minister said Saturday he hoped they could strike a deal this weekend. Other countries were still expressing unease, however. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday he "won't easily compromise" in trade talks with Washington. And BRICS leaders of fast-growing economies meeting in Rio de Janeiro raised "serious concerns" that the "indiscriminate" import tariffs were illegal and risked hurting global trade. When probed about worries that steep levies could feed into broader US inflation, Bessent said there was a difference between "inflation and one-time price adjustments." "Inflation is a generalised monetary phenomenon. We're not going to see that. And thus far, we haven't even seen the one-time price adjustments," Bessent told Fox News Sunday. - AFP More Like This
The Herald Scotland
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump calls bankers a term long considered antisemitic
"The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates," Trump said after disembarking from Air Force One. "You view it differently. I've never heard that." Anti-bigotry groups were quick to condemn Trump, saying the president has a long history of making antisemitic remarks and should have known better. "Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes," said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonpartisan Jewish Council for Public Affairs and an expert on antisemitism and extremism. "This is not an accident," Spitalnick said in a post on X. "It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories -- and it's deeply dangerous." The Anti-Defamation League, which combats antisemitism and racism worldwide, said the term "evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous." "President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible," the ADL said, also in a post on X. "It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States." 'Shylocks and bad people' who 'destroyed a lot of families' Trump's remark came at a campaign-style rally speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines for a "Salute to America Celebration." Much of his speech celebrated the passage of his massive budget reconciliation bill earlier in the day. "No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker -- and in some cases, shylocks and bad people... they destroyed a lot of families," Trump said. "But we did the opposite," Trump said, before describing the budget bill passed along party lines in the House and Senate. The term Shylock dates back centuries. In William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," the main antagonist was a character named Shylock, a Venetian Jewish moneylender portrayed as greedy, ruthless and charging high interest rates on loans. Joe Biden used the term too, then apologized Then-Vice President Joe Biden also used the term in 2014, describing unscrupulous bankers catering to American troops overseas as "these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men." "Shylock represents the medieval stereotype about Jews and remains an offensive characterization to this day," Abraham Foxman, the ADL's national director said at the time. "The Vice President should have been more careful." Foxman later announced that Biden had reached out to him by phone to apologize. "Not only has he been a stalwart against anti-Semitism and bigotry, but he has the courage and forthrightness to admit a mistake and use it as an opportunity to learn and to teach others about the harmful effects of stereotypes," Foxman said of Biden. "Clearly there was no ill-intent here," Foxman added, "but Joe and I agreed that perhaps he needs to bone up on his Shakespeare." Biden also issued a public apology. "Abe Foxman has been a friend and advisor of mine for a long time," Biden said in a statement. "He's correct, it was a poor choice of words." Trump's history of remarks called antisemitic Trump has portrayed himself as a staunch advocate for Jews. Since retaking office, he has led an aggressive campaign to root out antisemitism at Harvard and other high-profile American universities - a move that some critics said curbs freedom of speech by those criticizing Israel for its war in Gaza. Trump has a long history of making statements that Jewish leaders, historians and civil rights organizations have interpreted as reinforcing antisemitic stereotypes, including jokes about being cheap and aggressive in business and accusations of them being primarily loyal to Israel. He also has associated with known antisemites. In 2015, he told the Republican Jewish Coalition, "You just like me because my daughter happens to be Jewish," and "I'm a negotiator like you folks; we're negotiators." During his first campaign for president in 2016, Trump tweeted an image of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton superimposed on dollar bills with a six-pointed star, widely interpreted as a Star of David. The ADL called it "blatantly antisemitic." Trump also has said any Jew who votes for Democratic "hates their religion" and "should have their head examined" because he has been so supporitive of Israel, which he has referred to as "your country" when addressing a Jewish audience. And in November 2022, Trump hosted far-right extremist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes - and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West - at his Mar-a-Lago club. Both West and Fuentes were avid supporters of Trump who repeatedly had made antisemitic remarks. Fuentes in particular is a prominent figure among the far-right, peddling white nationalist ideas and openly promoting antisemitic and racist rhetoric. "Bigotry, hate, and antisemitism have absolutely no place in America - including at Mar-A-Lago," Biden administration White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN in a statement. "Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned." In response to heavy criticism, Trump said West "called me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about."
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Donald Trump uses antisemitic term to describe bankers, drawing criticism
The president made the remark at a rally launching his yearlong celebration of America's 250th birthday. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump described some bankers as 'shylocks,' a term widely seen as an antisemitic slur, at a July 3 Iowa rally kicking off his yearlong celebration of America's 250th birthday. When asked by reporters about it later that evening, Trump said he has 'never heard that' the word is considered antisemitic. "The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates,' Trump said after disembarking from Air Force One. 'You view it differently. I've never heard that." Anti-bigotry groups were quick to condemn Trump, saying the president has a long history of making antisemitic remarks and should have known better. 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,' said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonpartisan Jewish Council for Public Affairs and an expert on antisemitism and extremism. 'This is not an accident,' Spitalnick said in a post on X. 'It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous.' The Anti-Defamation League, which combats antisemitism and racism worldwide, said the term 'evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous.' 'President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible,' the ADL said, also in a post on X. 'It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.' 'Shylocks and bad people' who 'destroyed a lot of families' Trump's remark came at a campaign-style rally speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines for a "Salute to America Celebration." Much of his speech celebrated the passage of his massive budget reconciliation bill earlier in the day. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, shylocks and bad people… they destroyed a lot of families,' Trump said. 'But we did the opposite,' Trump said, before describing the budget bill passed along party lines in the House and Senate. The term Shylock dates back centuries. In William Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice,' the main antagonist was a character named Shylock, a Venetian Jewish moneylender portrayed as greedy, ruthless and charging high interest rates on loans. Joe Biden used the term too, then apologized Then-Vice President Joe Biden also used the term in 2014, describing unscrupulous bankers catering to American troops overseas as 'these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men.' 'Shylock represents the medieval stereotype about Jews and remains an offensive characterization to this day,' Abraham Foxman, the ADL's national director said at the time. 'The Vice President should have been more careful.' Foxman later announced that Biden had reached out to him by phone to apologize. 'Not only has he been a stalwart against anti-Semitism and bigotry, but he has the courage and forthrightness to admit a mistake and use it as an opportunity to learn and to teach others about the harmful effects of stereotypes,' Foxman said of Biden. 'Clearly there was no ill-intent here,' Foxman added, 'but Joe and I agreed that perhaps he needs to bone up on his Shakespeare.' Biden also issued a public apology. "Abe Foxman has been a friend and advisor of mine for a long time," Biden said in a statement. "He's correct, it was a poor choice of words." Trump's history of remarks called antisemitic Trump has portrayed himself as a staunch advocate for Jews. Since retaking office, he has led an aggressive campaign to root out antisemitism at Harvard and other high-profile American universities – a move that some critics said curbs freedom of speech by those criticizing Israel for its war in Gaza. Trump has a long history of making statements that Jewish leaders, historians and civil rights organizations have interpreted as reinforcing antisemitic stereotypes, including jokes about being cheap and aggressive in business and accusations of them being primarily loyal to Israel. He also has associated with known antisemites. In 2015, he told the Republican Jewish Coalition, "You just like me because my daughter happens to be Jewish," and "I'm a negotiator like you folks; we're negotiators." During his first campaign for president in 2016, Trump tweeted an image of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton superimposed on dollar bills with a six-pointed star, widely interpreted as a Star of David. The ADL called it 'blatantly antisemitic.' Trump also has said any Jew who votes for Democratic "hates their religion" and "should have their head examined" because he has been so supporitive of Israel, which he has referred to as "your country" when addressing a Jewish audience. And in November 2022, Trump hosted far-right extremist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes – and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West – at his Mar‑a‑Lago club. Both West and Fuentes were avid supporters of Trump who repeatedly had made antisemitic remarks. Fuentes in particular is a prominent figure among the far-right, peddling white nationalist ideas and openly promoting antisemitic and racist rhetoric. 'Bigotry, hate, and antisemitism have absolutely no place in America - including at Mar-A-Lago," Biden administration White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN in a statement. "Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned." In response to heavy criticism, Trump said West 'called me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about."
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Donald Trump calls bankers 'Shylocks,' drawing criticism for antisemitic term
The president made the remark at a rally launching his yearlong celebration of America's 250th birthday. He said he '"heard" it was antisemitic. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump described some bankers as 'shylocks,' a term widely seen as an antisemitic slur, at a July 3 Iowa rally kicking off his yearlong celebration of America's 250th birthday. When asked by reporters about it later that evening, Trump said he has 'never heard that' the word is considered antisemitic. "The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates,' Trump said after disembarking from Air Force One. 'You view it differently. I've never heard that." Anti-bigotry groups were quick to condemn Trump, saying the president has a long history of making antisemitic remarks and should have known better. 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,' said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonpartisan Jewish Council for Public Affairs and an expert on antisemitism and extremism. 'This is not an accident,' Spitalnick said in a post on X. 'It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous.' The Anti-Defamation League, which combats antisemitism and racism worldwide, said the term 'evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous.' 'President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible,' the ADL said, also in a post on X. 'It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.' 'Shylocks and bad people' who 'destroyed a lot of families' Trump's remark came at a campaign-style rally speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines for a "Salute to America Celebration." Much of his speech celebrated the passage of his massive budget reconciliation bill earlier in the day. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, shylocks and bad people… they destroyed a lot of families,' Trump said. 'But we did the opposite,' Trump said, before describing the budget bill passed along party lines in the House and Senate. The term Shylock dates back centuries. In William Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice,' the main antagonist was a character named Shylock, a Venetian Jewish moneylender portrayed as greedy, ruthless and charging high interest rates on loans. Joe Biden used the term too, then apologized Then-Vice President Joe Biden also used the term in 2014, describing unscrupulous bankers catering to American troops overseas as 'these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men.' 'Shylock represents the medieval stereotype about Jews and remains an offensive characterization to this day,' Abraham Foxman, the ADL's national director said at the time. 'The Vice President should have been more careful.' Foxman later announced that Biden had reached out to him by phone to apologize. 'Not only has he been a stalwart against anti-Semitism and bigotry, but he has the courage and forthrightness to admit a mistake and use it as an opportunity to learn and to teach others about the harmful effects of stereotypes,' Foxman said of Biden. 'Clearly there was no ill-intent here,' Foxman added, 'but Joe and I agreed that perhaps he needs to bone up on his Shakespeare.' Biden also issued a public apology. "Abe Foxman has been a friend and advisor of mine for a long time," Biden said in a statement. "He's correct, it was a poor choice of words." Trump's history of remarks called antisemitic Trump has portrayed himself as a staunch advocate for Jews. Since retaking office, he has led an aggressive campaign to root out antisemitism at Harvard and other high-profile American universities – a move that some critics said curbs freedom of speech by those criticizing Israel for its war in Gaza. Trump has a long history of making statements that Jewish leaders, historians and civil rights organizations have interpreted as reinforcing antisemitic stereotypes, including jokes about being cheap and aggressive in business and accusations of them being primarily loyal to Israel. He also has associated with known antisemites. In 2015, he told the Republican Jewish Coalition, "You just like me because my daughter happens to be Jewish," and "I'm a negotiator like you folks; we're negotiators." During his first campaign for president in 2016, Trump tweeted an image of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton superimposed on dollar bills with a six-pointed star, widely interpreted as a Star of David. The ADL called it 'blatantly antisemitic.' Trump also has said any Jew who votes for Democratic "hates their religion" and "should have their head examined" because he has been so supporitive of Israel, which he has referred to as "your country" when addressing a Jewish audience. And in November 2022, Trump hosted far-right extremist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes – and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West – at his Mar‑a‑Lago club. Both West and Fuentes were avid supporters of Trump who repeatedly had made antisemitic remarks. Fuentes in particular is a prominent figure among the far-right, peddling white nationalist ideas and openly promoting antisemitic and racist rhetoric. 'Bigotry, hate, and antisemitism have absolutely no place in America - including at Mar-A-Lago," Biden administration White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN in a statement. "Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned." In response to heavy criticism, Trump said West 'called me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about."
