Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China sends global markets into turmoil: Live updates
President-elect flexes muscles on world stage after securing brace of legal wins
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to impose massive tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico with the aim of stopping drug smuggling, an announcement that left the markets reeling in fear of a new trade war with Beijing.
The threatened double-digit tariffs would likely have major impacts on key sectors of the US economy, including auto manufacturing, crude oil and agriculture, all of which involve trade with the targeted countries.
The measures could also further drive inflation, hitting the American consumer.
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly planning to grant his cabinet nominees “sweeping security clearances” and delay their being subjected to FBI background checks until his own officials have taken over the bureau.
The Republican spent Monday evening celebrating a major legal victory after Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith moved to drop the the federal election interference and classified documents cases against him.
Citing a precedent that prevents a sitting president from being charged, Smith said his team is treating Trump as a current president and asked for the cases to be abandoned.
Smith stressed that the reason for the motions had nothing to do with the strength of the evidence collected, which he believes is strong.
Trump lashes out at NYT and its ‘third rate writer’ after report on president-elect’s aide’s adoring letters
Trump threatens China, Mexico and Canada with new tariffs. But what does this actually mean for Americans’ pockets?
Trumpworld turns on one of its own: Boris Epshteyn faces internal probe over pay-to-play scheme
Trump’s Cabinet and staff tracker: Here’s who is among the White House appointments so far
Former Trump aide shares warning to women entering his White House
Olivia Troye, ex-national security adviser to Trump’s first VP Mike Pence, has issued a stark warning for women entering the incoming administration.
“TheTrump White House’s chauvinistic male-dominated culture will be exacerbated by the presence of Elon Musk, JD Vance, Donald Trump Jr, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth and other ‘bros’ in positions of authority or influence,” Troye wrote on her Substack.
“It will be an intimidating environment, but stay true to your values, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. Remember, you have only yourself to face in the mirror every day.”
Josh Marcus has more.
Former Trump aide shares ominous warning to women entering his White House
Former Pence adviser warned of Trump White House’s ‘chauvinistic male-dominated culture’
Kamala Harris tells advisers to keep her options open for another run
The vice president has told her aides to keep her options open in case she decides to run for president again in 2028, according to reports.
Sources close to the Harris family told Politico that she has vowed to “stay in the fight” and may even run to be governor of California in 2026.
Here’s more from Io Dodds.
Harris tells advisers to keep her options open for another run for president
The vice president is reportedly mulling how to ‘reassert’ her role in the Democratic Party following her decisive defeat by Donald Trump
Trumpworld turns on one of its own: Boris Epshteyn faces internal probe over pay-to-play scheme
Donald Trump’s transition team is already grappling with its own internal politics after one of his most loyal advisers was accused of running a pay-to-play scheme.
The president-elect’s legal team launched an internal investigation – which was not criminal – into longtime Trump attorney and adviser Boris Epshteyn following claims he has been profiting personally from his proximity to the president-elect.
The review, conducted by the transition team’s top lawyer David Warrington, recommended that aides close to Trump limit Epshteyn’s access to the president-elect, The Washington Post reports.
Here’s more from Rhian Lubin.
Boris Epshteyn probed by Trump team over pay-to-play scheme
Boris Epshteyn is accused of profiting personally from his proximity to the president-elect
Recap: Trump lashes out at ‘failing’ New York Times and ‘third rate writer’ Maggie Haberman
Here’s more on the president-elect’s latest broadside against the Big Apple newspaper and its famed correspondent.
Trump lashes out at ‘failing’ New York Times and ‘third rate writer’ Maggie Haberman
The rant came soon after a new NYT report revealed Trump’s aide Natalie Harp had sent him a series of passionate letters, declaring in one: ‘You are all that matters to me’
Bizarre moment Trump asks to buy young girl’s hair ‘for millions’ on golf course
The president-elect was driving a buggy around his Trump International Golf Club at West Palm Beach when he spotted the girl and offered this strange compliment.
James Liddell attempts to make sense of it.
Bizarre moment Trump asks to buy young girl’s hair ‘for millions’ at golf club
The president-elect was driving a buggy around his Trump International Golf Club at West Palm Beach when he spotted the girl
What do Trump’s tariffs actually mean for Americans’ pockets?
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump repeatedly told his supporters that tariffs are “not going to be a cost to you, it’s a cost to another country”.
But that claim has been widely dismissed by economists.
Before Election Day, the Bloomberg editorial board issued a warning slamming the claim as a “popular delusion”.
So while Trump claims his tariffs plan will hurt US trade partners, what does it actually mean for American consumers?
Rhian Lubin takes a closer look.
What do Trump’s tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada mean for American shoppers?
On the campaign trail, Trump claimed to his supporters that tariffs are ‘not going to be a cost to you, it’s a cost to another country.’ Economists warn this isn’t the case
Donald Trump Jr and Elon Musk joke about MSNBC host’s ‘castration’
Influential conservatives are currently having a lot of fun joking about buying liberal news network MSNBC and standing in for its top hosts.
In a series of recent posts on X, that platform’s owner Elon Musk, the president-elect’s son Donald Trump Jr and podcaster Joe Rogan fantasized about what they would do if they owned the channel and mocked host Lawrence O’Donnell in distrubing fashion.
Josh Marcus has more.
Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk joke about MSNBC host’s ‘castration’
Musk and friends have fantasized about buying liberal news network as parent company NBCUniversal plans to spin off various cable properties
Kevin McCarthy says Gaetz’s AG nod was ‘a fear for all young girls’ in latest war of words between GOP enemies
The former House speaker has called Matt Gaetz’s nomination to become Trump’s attorney general a “fear for all young girls” in the latest war of words between the longtime Republican foes.
There’s been no love lost between the two former GOP congressmen ever since Gaetz led the charge to oust McCarthy as speaker in October 2023.
On Monday, the injured party couldn’t resist sticking the knife in over Gaetz’s shortlived bid to join Trump’s administration when he appeared on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime.
McCarthy commended the Trump administration for getting rid of the “problem” and took a swipe at Gaetz, saying that young girls “need their justice”.
James Liddell reports.
Kevin McCarthy says Matt Gaetz’s AG nod was ‘a fear for all young girls’
‘Those girls need justice and that is not the place for him,’ McCarthy told Fox News’s Jesse Watters
Trump nominees to receive ‘sweeping security clearances' and delayed FBI background checks, report claims
Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees will receive “sweeping security clearances” and only receive FBI background checks once the 47th president’s administration takes over that bureau, The Guardian reports this morning.
That could mean that his appointees do not classified briefings until Trump takes office on January 20, the latest evidence of the Republican’s scornful attitude towards the bureau and its vetting process, which he appears to regard as a tiresome obstacle to his aims, rather than a highly necessary security safeguard.
“The Trump-Vance transition lawyers continue to constructively engage with the Biden-Harris administration lawyers regarding all agreements contemplated by the Presidential Transition Act. We will update you once a decision is made,” Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement responding to the story.
Lauren Boebert follows Gaetz on to Cameo – then apparently realizes why she shouldn’t have
Republican Representative Lauren Boebert briefly followed her former colleagues Matt Gaetz and George Santos onto the paid video app Cameo – before abruptly deactivating her account.
The controversial Colorado representative posted a clip on Saturday offering “America First pep talks”, birthday wishes, or other recorded messages for a fee of $250 or more.
The account reportedly did not initially identify her as a serving congresswoman, instead describing her as an “influencer”, a “political commentator” and “not your typical Republican politician”.
But according to reports, the account soon stopped taking bookings and then went offline entirely after experts questioned whether it would break congressional ethics laws.
Io Dodds has more.
Lauren Boebert follows Matt Gaetz on to Cameo – then apparently thinks better of it
Ethics experts questioned whether the paid video app might violate rules against sitting members of Congress receiving money for media appearances
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments