President Trump has had quite a week. In fact, I’d say he accomplished more in the past week than President Biden did in a year.
Tariffs and Trade
Late last week, Trump announced a new trade deal with the UK, the first of what is expected to be many.
Next, China came to the U.S. to ask for a tariff deal, a move they said they would never make. This made Trump look strong and Xi look weak. The Administration lowered tariffs for 90 days, but still charges China 20 percent more than they charge us. The de minimis provision I wrote about now has a tariff of 54 percent, which the Wall Street Journal says should offer companies like Temu and Shein “some breathing room.” It could also be a significant source of income for the United States, which collected an extra $7 billion in tariffs in April.
Trump also demonstrated the United States has a potent weapon and can cut off Chinese manufacturing and send their economy into a tailspin simply by raising tariffs or prohibiting imports. He didn’t have to say anything, but if China invades Taiwan, you can expect punishing trade and financial sanctions.
The Economy
The stock market shot upwards and is now above what it was before Trump introduced the higher tariffs. Gold has dropped from its previous highs, but bounced back on Thursday. Silver has seen less of a decline. Both remain less than 10 percent from their all-time highs.
Inflation continued to drop, with April numbers coming in lower than March and below expectations. Every month since Trump took office, inflation has come in under expectations and well below the dire warnings of left-leaning talking heads who predicted the president’s economic policies would cause a jump in inflation.
On the Global Stage
Trump conducted a high-visibility visit to the Middle East, which included meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, where important deals, military agreements, and commercial announcements were made. U.S. defense contractors and Boeing made out well, with the latter landing its biggest airplane deal ever, 160 Boeing jets going to Qatar Air.
Trump also did the unimaginable, eliminating sanctions on Syria, which now has a new government. The sanctions had been put in place to target the Assad Regime. This won Trump a great deal of goodwill across the Middle East and may help foster peace across Syria. At the same time, the threat of new sanctions should give him leverage.
Meanwhile, Hamas released the last living American hostage take in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The Peacemaker
In a surprise turn of events, Iran made sudden and significant concessions in their talks with the U.S., asking that sanctions against them be dropped in return for giving up their nuclear program. I expect there is far more negotiating to do, but this will kick start stalled talks. I expect Trump lifting sanctions on Syria prompted Iran to take this step.
On Sunday, Putin made a televised offer to begin direct peace negotiations with Ukraine. Trump encouraged Zelensky to accept the gesture, which he did. Zelensky showed up in Turkey, but Putin didn’t, although he sent a delegation. Posturing between the two enemies continues, as does the fighting, but this big step towards peace occurred largely because of president Trump’s efforts.
Domestic Policy
On the home front, his “big beautiful” tax bill continues to make progress in congress. Slow progress, but hopefully steady progress.
Trump is also making strides against the Democrats who can find no alternative but to continue to act more extreme with every passing week, turning off the bulk of Americans. His common-sense plans, like refilling the strategic petroleum reserve, are also hard to argue against without looking extreme.
With every headline about a boy-who-thinks-he-is-a-girl taking first place against a field of biological girls, the Democrats’ approval rating sinks. They also look foolish every time CNBC or CNN has to admit Trump was right and egg prices are falling.
Likewise, when Democrats rush an ICE facility, the pictures look an awful lot like Guatemalans and Venezuelans who were rushing the border crossings just a year earlier. The majority of American citizens are against illegal immigration and object to their tax dollars paying for non-citizens who are here illegally.
And while Trump was in the Middle East, RFK was knocking down Democrats like bowling pins in a hearing on Capitol Hill.
What Does all This Mean for Preppers?
So what does this good news mean for preppers? No shortages. Lower prices. No supply chain disruptions. Less war. The possibility of lower taxes. More money in your pocket and in your retirement accounts. Less crime. More jobs.
There are still threats, of course. China remains a threat. They will play nice for a year or two, but do not doubt that they are seething inside. Russia could double-down on Ukraine and threaten Poland or Finland. Israel could still attack Iran, although it would probably be without U.S. aid if Trump and Iran reach a deal. There are still be sleeper cells in the United States, hiding among the millions of illegal immigrants. The national debt is still pushing $37 trillion and climbing. There are still obstructionist courts.
One good week can’t turn things around, but it might signify the downhill slide is slowing.
