Another week, another trade threat. As financial markets began gearing up for President Donald Trump’s promised reciprocal tariffs, the U.S. announced it would slap 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts. That’s likely to hit just about every major automaker, even senior White House advisor Elon Musk’s Tesla.
The president this week also announced a new trade tool, the “secondary tariff,” which he’s putting to use to punish countries that buy Venezuelan oil with new tariffs. As those tariffs — and more — come down the pipeline, their impact is expected to broaden, impacting everything from toilet paper to avocados.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is also looking to fire some 3,500 staffers at the Food and Drug Administration, even as employees are reportedly struggling to manage their existing workload. And at the Federal Trade Commission, two fired commissioners are suing to get their jobs back.
Catch up on all that and more — including Delaware’s bid to keep Meta from following Musk and leaving the state — in this week’s politics roundup.
