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The President's Daily Brief
March 7th, 2025: Trump Hits Pause On Trade War With Mexico And Canada & South Korea Accidentally Bombs Their Own Civilians
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- [00:01]
Ryan Reynolds
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- [00:42]
Mike Baker
It's Friday 7th March welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll kick things off with a major update on the Trump administration's trade war as the president pauses tariffs on a host of goods from Mexico and Canada for a period of one month, praising Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's cooperation with the US on the southern border later in the show. European Union leaders gathered for emergency talks in Brussels on Thursday in the hopes of drastically boosting defense spending following President Trump's reversal of US policies on Ukraine. Plus, at least 15 people were injured in South Korea on Thursday after their military accidentally dropped eight bombs. Oops. On a civilian area during a joint training exercise near the North Korean border. And in today's back of the brief, anti Israel protests took a radical turn this week at Columbia University as an anti Semitic mob calling for, quote, death to America hung an effigy of a school administrator and handed out flyers authored by the Hamas media office glorifying the brutal 7th of October attacks. Meanwhile, the gormless university administrators, well, they continue to negotiate with the mob. But first, today's PDB spotlight. In another whiplash inducing reversal, the Trump administration is walking back their plans to impose crippling trade tariffs on on America's northern and southern neighbors over the ongoing fentanyl crisis. On Thursday, President Trump signed executive actions delaying his 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada for all products covered by the current North American Free Trade Treaty, known as the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, despite enacting the new taxes just days ago. For now, the exemption will Only last through April 2, the same day that Trump plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners, including longtime allies. And that's according to a report from Reuters. The announcement came one day after Trump said he would delay tariffs on all automakers for one month in order to give that sector time to adjust supply chains and move more production to the US Though realistically, well, such an undertaking would obviously take much longer. Automakers are expected to be hit particularly hard by the tariffs, as car parts often cross US Borders six to eight times during assembly, meaning that they could be taxed multiple times. Now, we should stress that the White House's latest move does not constitute a total reprieve from the tariffs. Economists estimate that only half of the products coming from Mexico and roughly 38% from Canada are covered by the new one month exemption. All other goods will still face the 25% tariffs enacted on Tuesday, while Canadian energy products such as crude oil, petroleum gas and coal will face a 10% tax. The partial pause reportedly came after discussions that Trump held with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday and separate talks led by White House officials with Canadian leaders. In a surprisingly friendly post on Truth Social, Trump said, quote, I did this as an accommodation and out of respect for President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one and we are working hard together on the border, both in terms of stopping illegal aliens from entering the US and likewise stopping fentanyl. The president added, quote, thank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation, end quote. Now, while Trump singled out Sheinbaum from Mexico for praise in his statement, well, don't expect the same warmth from the president for Canadian leaders. While Mexico delayed any announcement of economic retaliation following Tuesday's implementation of the tariffs, which theoretically was buying her some goodwill with Trump, Canada swiftly struck back by imposing an immediate 25% tariff on nearly $30 billion worth of American goods, while threatening more in the near future. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also criticized the tariff move on Tuesday as, quote, a very dumb thing to do. He dug in his heels further on Thursday, saying that he expects the trade war to continue with the US for the foreseeable future and that Canada would not lift its retaliatory actions unless the White House permanently rolls back all the tariffs. Trump responded on Thursday by slamming Trudeau on Truth Social on over the, quote, terrible job he's done for Canada and accusing him of using the trade argument to win back political support. We should note the comprehensive tariff exemptions issued Thursday mark the second time that the Trump administration has delayed and at least in part tariff actions against Mexico and Canada. He initially threatened to impose the tariffs back in early February, but paused their implementation after Canada and Mexico promised to take strong actions to secure their borders and reduce the flow of migrants and drugs into the U.S. given the starts and stops with these tariffs, it's, well, anyone's guess what will happen come the new deadline of April 2nd, when as I mentioned, the Trump administration also plans to roll out a global regime of reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC on Thursday, quote On April 2nd, we're going to move with the reciprocal tariffs and hopefully Mexico and Canada will have done a good enough job on fentanyl that this part of the conversation will be off the table. But if they haven't, this will stay on, end quote. All right. Coming up next, EU leaders gathered for emergency talks in Brussels on Thursday in the hopes of drastically increasing defense spending. And at least 15 people were injured in South Korea on Thursday after their military accidentally dropped eight bombs on civilian areas during a training exercise. I'll be right back.
- [07:04]
Mike Slater
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Ryan Reynolds
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Mike Baker
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- [07:38]
Mike Baker
European Union leaders committed Thursday to backing new defense spending plans aimed at funneling billions into protecting the continent. The decision follows the Trump administration's suspension of military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine earlier this week, a move that's forced Europe to reassess its security posture. This comes as Ukrainian President Zelensky in his nightly address on Thursday said that negotiations between Ukraine and the United States over ending the war will take place in Saudi Arabia next week. Zelensky is set to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday, and his delegation will remain in Saudi Arabia for follow up talks with American officials. At an emergency summit in Brussels earlier in the day, leaders of the 27 member EU agreed to relax fiscal rules that could unlock as much as 700 billion for military investments over time. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a, quote, watershed moment. Also pushing a plan to jointly borrow up to $162 billion to lend to EU governments to spend on weapons procurement, something that member states must still agree on. Yet for all the talk of a more self sufficient Europe, the summit fell short of delivering action. It was frankly, plenty of rhetoric with very little apparent follow through. Leaders left Ukraine's most pressing Needs that would be weapons and ammunition largely unaddressed. Most notably, this so called rearmament plan remains theoretical, subject to approval from individual member states, and it already faces headwinds. One of the biggest sticking points? Not every European country is equally eager or financially capable of ramping up defense spending. Six EU nations have debt levels exceeding 100% of their GDP, raising concerns about how they'll finance a military buildup. The leaders also failed to reach consensus on unfreezing an estimated $196 billion in Russian assets held in European financial institutions. It's a potential windfall that could go towards aiding Ukraine, but it remains politically fraught. Additionally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Moscow's closest ally in Europe, refused to endorse part of the summit's statement of support for Ukraine. Still, the other 26 leaders presented a unified front, declaring that Ukraine must remain at the center of any diplomatic negotiations and that Europe must have a seat at the table in any future U.S. russia security talks. Despite the financial uncertainties, For Zelensky, the EU's stated commitment to stepping up defense spending is a welcome shift. Speaking to reporters, Zelensky stated, quote, we are very thankful that we are not alone. But he added bluntly, quote, the real question for any negotiations is whether Russia is capable of giving up the war. Zelensky pointed to Moscow's escalating military expenditures, its continued expansion of troop levels and its relentless efforts to bypass sanctions. All signs, he argued, that the Kremlin has no interest in backing down from their war effort. Meanwhile, President Trump's evolving foreign policy stance loomed over the summit. US envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg defended Washington's decision to freeze military aid and cease intelligence sharing, casting it as a tough love approach to force Kiev into negotiations. Kellogg stated, quote, the best way I can describe it is it's sort of like hitting a mule with a 2x4 across the nose. You get their attention, end quote. Interesting analogy. With negotiations between the US and Ukraine set for next week, the summit made one thing clear. If Washington steps back, Europe will have to step up. Alright. Turning to South Korea, a military exercise turned disastrous on Thursday when two fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area near the North Korean border, injuring at least 15 people and causing significant structural damage. The incident unfolded around 10am local time in Pocheon, a northeastern city of 140,000 people during a live fire joint exercise with the United States in preparation for the annual Freedom Shield military exercises, which are scheduled to begin on the 10th of March. According to the South Korean Air Force, the 500 pound MK82 bombs were, quote, abnormally released. Well, that's one way to put it. From two KF16 fighter jets outside the designated firing range, a preliminary investigation revealed that one pilot had entered incorrect targeting coordinates. Well, that would do it. Sending four bombs off course. While the cause of the second jet's malfunction remains under review. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff admitted that multiple layers of verification should have prevented such an error, but failed at several critical points. The fallout was immediate as two civilians suffered serious but non life threatening injuries, while 13 others sustained minor wounds, including two South Korean soldiers inside a military chapel and two foreign nationals caught in the blast radius. The damage was extensive. Eight buildings, including five homes, a warehouse, a greenhouse and a chapel bore the brunt of the explosions. Images from the scene depicted shattered windows, debris littered streets and emergency crews working to evacuate residents as authorities scrambled to locate any unexploded ordinance. In response, South Korea's Joint Chiefs announced the immediate suspension of live fire drills. However, military officials confirmed that Freedom Shield exercises would proceed as planned in the coming days. The US Military was quick to clarify that no American aircraft were involved in the mishap. Col. Ryan Donald, a spokesman for U.S. forces Korea, emphasized that the U.S. was fully cooperating with the South Korean military's investigation, adding, quote, the safety of the local community, U.S. and Republic of Korea personnel is our top priority. The South Korean Air Force issued a formal apology pledging to compensate affected civilians and assemble an investigative committee to determine the precise cause of the incident and ensure such errors don't happen again. Meanwhile, South Korea's Governing People Power Party wasted no time in demanding stricter safety protocols for military drills near civilian areas, warning that such failures raise serious concerns about the reliability of the country's defense infrastructure. With 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, joint military drills like Freedom Shield are designed to maintain combat readiness in the face of growing threats from nuclear armed North Korea. Okay, coming up next, in the back of the brief, anti Israel protests escalate on the campus of Columbia University, leading to a clash with police. I'll be right back with those details.
- [14:53]
Mike Slater
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- [15:50]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to the PDB in today's Back of the Brief Anti Israel protests took a dark turn this week at Columbia University in New York City as anti Semitic mobs took over another campus building during a demonstration that ended with a fake bomb threat and a dramatic clash with NYPD police officers. The latest chaos kicked off on Wednesday when more than 200 students well, do we know they were all students hiding their faces behind headscarves and masks? That's Brave Storm the Milstein center for Interreligious Dialogue on the campus of Columbia's Barnard College. The students claim to be protesting the war in Gaza as well as the expulsion of two students who stormed into classrooms in January and threw around flyers loaded with anti Semitic rhetoric. That's according to a report from the New York Post. Apparently those protesters object to having consequences for bad actions. Note there's not accurate reporting yet on just how many of these protesters are actual students and how many are outside activists and just non student morons cosplaying as Hamas sympathizers. The group began plastering stickers around the building that read Burn Barnard, Burn and Death to America. Ooh. Oh how revolutionary. Look, they spelled America with a K as well as a wanted poster with the face of the university's Dean of students. They also hung an effigy of Barnard President Laura Rosenberry, who had condemned protesters last week for refusing to remove their masks when they occupied a campus building and assaulted a school employee. So they were reprimanded or she was condemning them for for not removing their masks. But maybe not for the anti Semitic actions or assaulting a school employee. Maybe I have that wrong. If that wasn't disturbing enough, the protesters began handing out flyers on Wednesday authored by the Hamas media office that glorified the 7 October attacks. One of the pamphlets was titled Our Narrative Al Aqsa Flood, evoking the name that the Hamas terrorists gave to their brutal attacks on Israeli women and children and babies and elderly and others. The co chair of the Columbia Students association for Israel condemned the protesters on social media, saying, quote, this is terrorist support in its rawest and most obvious form. Another Israeli student Group said, quote, still think they're pro peace, still think they don't support terror. They added, quote, barnard College in Columbia. It's beyond time to take action. Now, officials at Barnett once again denounced the demonstrations, calling them a, quote, affront to all students. That, quote, cannot be tolerated, and yet they seem to be tolerating them. As the protesters occupation continued into Wednesday evening, what was later determined to be a fake bomb threat was called in, prompting the university to call in the NYPD to clear the building. More than 50 NYPD officers in riot gear descended on the scene, ordering the students to exit the building. Though the protesters refused, the police then began forcibly removing the protesters, arresting at least nine people for refusing to comply. Once again, now that we've had some arrests, it would be interesting to know how many of those are actual students and how many are outside activists. As I mentioned, the latest ordeal came after anti Israel protesters staged a similar demonstration on Columbia's campus last week. Earlier this week, the Trump administration launched a review of more than $50 million in government contracts and grants with Columbia University over their, quote, ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students. President Trump also vowed to strip federal funding from any college that allows, quote, illegal protests and threaten to revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in violent demonstrations. And that, my friends, is the President's daily brief for Friday 7th March. And look at that. It is, in fact, Friday. Now, dedicated listeners of the PDB know that Fridays mean new episodes of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. This weekend's guests include Jonathan Schoncer from the foundation for the Defense of Democracies and, and the author and China analyst Gordon Chang. We'll be looking at the stalled Israel Hamas ceasefire, plans for Gaza reconstruction, the potential for renewed fighting there, China's declaration that they're ready for, quote, any type of war with the US News that a US Firm will be buying two key Panama Canal ports from China, and more. Honestly, it's a smorgasbord of news and information. And when was the last time you heard anybody say smorgasbord? And you have to say it that way? Smorgasbord. The new episodes air every Friday evening on the first TV and are available on our YouTube channel, President's Daily Brief, and all your favorite podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
- [21:05]
D
Hey, I'm Mike Slater. I have a podcast called Politics by Faith. We have a very simple mission. We take the news the day, and we filter it through a biblical worldview. So here's the big story of the day. What does the Bible say about it and how can we apply it? It's amazing. There's nothing new under the sun. The Bible has something to say about everything that's going on today. So basically, we thumped the Bible over on Politics by Faith. I think we ought to keep MAGA going. And I think the way to take it beyond just a political victory into a true rebuilding and awakening and revival in America is to make sure that this is all grounded in biblical principles. And that's what we do on the podcast Politics by Faith. And you can subscribe to Politics by Faith wherever you're listening to the show right now.