Trump Launches Tariff-Palooza

Summary

What A Day - Episode Summary: "Trump Launches Tariff-Palooza"
Host: Jane Coston
Release Date: April 3, 2025
Produced by: Crooked Media

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Introduction

In the April 3, 2025 episode of What A Day, host Jane Coston delves into President Donald Trump's ambitious tariff strategy, aptly dubbed "Tariff-Palooza." The episode examines the breadth and peculiarities of the new tariff scheme, its impact on international relations, the U.S. economy, and domestic workers. Additionally, the show touches on significant political developments in Wisconsin, Amazon's unexpected move concerning TikTok, and international tensions involving Israel and Gaza.

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Trump’s "Tariff-Palooza"

Announcing the Tariff Scheme
President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping executive order aimed at imposing reciprocal tariffs worldwide. This substantial move includes:

• Global Implementation: A 10% tariff applied universally to all countries deemed to have treated the U.S. unfairly.
• Targeted Increases: Specific sectors face heightened tariffs, such as China's imports, which will now incur a total of 34% tariffs combining current and new rates.

Questionable Tariff Targets
Coston highlights the questionable nature of some tariff targets:

• Uninhabited Territories: "At least one of the entities we're tariffing, The Heard and McDonald Islands, doesn't have any people. Zero." (01:18)
• Non-Trade Actors: Tariffs are being placed on a U.S. military base and countries like Lesotho and a French territory off Newfoundland, raising eyebrows about the administration's strategy.

Notable Quotes:

• Trump emphasizes the old-fashioned nature of tariffs: “An old fashioned term that we use, groceries. I used it on the campaign...” (00:03).

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Economic Impact and Market Reaction

Stock Market Response
Following the announcement, the U.S. stock market experienced significant downturns:

• Market Drops: Broader market indices fell as investors reacted nervously to the uncertainty introduced by the new tariff policies.

Trump's Economic Priorities
Coston emphasizes that Trump's focus remains on workers rather than market stability:

• “Trump 2.0 doesn't care about the stock market or your 401k or your dad's retirement fund. He cares about the workers.” (02:57)

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Impact on Federal Workers and Unions

Massive Layoffs and Job Cuts
Since President Trump's inauguration, over 120,000 federal employees have been dismissed, with numbers expected to rise:

• Affected Agencies: From the National Institutes of Health to the National Park Service, no federal agency is spared.

Executive Order on Union Rights
Trump signed an executive order targeting the collective bargaining rights of federal employee unions, particularly the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE):

• Targeted Departments: Defense, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, State Department, among others.

Notable Quotes:

• Treasury Secretary Scott Besant's advice doesn't appease Host Jane Coston: “...Treasury Secretary Scott Besant isn't making me feel better with this advice given on FOX News to other countries.” (01:18).

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In-Depth Interview: Everett Kelly, President of AFGE

Union Response to Administration Policies
Everett Kelly discusses the chaos and fear among federal workers facing layoffs and the push to eliminate union protections:

• “It just left everybody in a state of shock and confusion.” (04:59)
• AFGE's Strategy: Filing lawsuits and rallying public opinion to counteract the administration's moves.

Consequences of Job Cuts
Kelly addresses the broader implications of the administration's cuts:

• “It's going to affect the services that we provide to the American public.” (06:08)
• Examples include reduced services at the VA and compromised food safety inspections.

Union’s Historical Role and Current Challenges
AFGE’s legacy in protecting federal workers is contrasted with Trump's administration tactics:

• “We are a labor union that want to make sure that employees are treated with fairness and dignity...” (08:17)
• Current efforts to dismantle union protections are seen as retaliatory measures.

Notable Quotes:

• Kelly condemns the administration's actions: “That was a very devastating attack because he put about a million federal workers in a position where they don't have a union to speak up for them...” (07:22)
• Discussing public mobilization: “People are rising up. You're seeing rallies across the country.” (09:17)

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Political Developments: Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

Liberal Victory in a Swing State
Wisconsin witnessed a significant judicial election where liberal Judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimmel by a 10-point margin, defying substantial financial backing from Trump and Elon Musk.

• Implications: This victory serves as a litmus test for Democratic resilience against executive and private sector pressures.

Notable Quotes:

• Crawford on her win: “Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy.” (15:31)

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National and International News Briefs

New York City Mayor’s Legal Battle
Mayor Eric Adams successfully had corruption charges dismissed by a federal judge, undermining Trump’s efforts to challenge Democratic figures:

• Judge’s Ruling: Refuted the administration's claims of bias and procedural misconduct.

Israeli Actions in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced territorial seizures in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages, escalating regional tensions.

Amazon’s TikTok Bid
In a surprising move, Amazon has reportedly made a last-minute attempt to acquire TikTok amidst ongoing national security debates and regulatory deadlines.

Notable Quotes:

• Netanyahu on Gaza strategy: “We are now dividing the strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that they will give us our hostages.”

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Additional Segments

Hysteria Podcast Teaser
Jane Coston promotes the "Hysteria" segment featuring discussions on Planned Parenthood’s legal battles and broader healthcare implications.

Advertisements and Promotions
The episode includes sponsorship messages from Fast Growing Trees and Dr. Horton, though these are acknowledged as non-content segments and are summarized briefly.

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Conclusion

In "Trump Launches Tariff-Palooza," What A Day provides a comprehensive analysis of President Trump's extensive tariff policies and their convoluted implementation. The episode underscores the administrative focus on workers juxtaposed with the destabilizing effects on federal employees and international relations. Through an insightful interview with Everett Kelly, the show highlights the struggles of federal unions against unprecedented executive actions. Additionally, significant political victories and international tensions are explored, painting a detailed picture of the current socio-political landscape.

Notable Final Quote:

• Trump on judicial dismissals: “Let me be clear. As I said all along, this case should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong.” (17:50)

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Timestamp References:

• Timestamps are indicated in square brackets (MM:SS) next to the corresponding quotes and sections to provide context and attribution.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, offering a thorough overview for listeners and those who may have missed the broadcast.

Transcript

[Donald Trump]

Foreign.

[Jane Coston]

I'm Jane Coston and this is what a day. The show asking you, my friends and listeners, when do you think the last time Donald Trump bought groceries was likewise.

[Donald Trump]

An old fashioned term that we use, groceries. I used it on the campaign. It's such an old fashioned term, but a beautiful term, groceries.

[Jane Coston]

It sort of says a bag with.

[Donald Trump]

Different things in it. Groceries went through the roof and I campaigned on that. I talked about the word groceries for a lot.

[Jane Coston]

Like he hasn't gone to a grocery store since the seventies. Right? If ever. On today's show, Wisconsinites give Elon Musk the middle finger and send a liberal judge to their state supreme court. And Amazon makes a bid to buy TikTok in the 11th hour. But let's start by talking about Liberation Day, in which we finally took on our lifelong enemies, the Falkland Islands, in a rose garden ceremony featuring props, charts and yet another reference to the old fashioned term that is groceries. President Donald Trump announced his big tariff scheme, and it is big indeed. In a few moments, I will sign.

[Donald Trump]

A historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs.

[Jane Coston]

On countries throughout the world alongside 10% tariffs on all countries. Trump installed massive tariffs on countries he thinks have treated the United States unfairly. And some of those countries. Well, I have questions. I mean, for one thing, at least one of the entities we're tariffing, The Heard and McDonald Islands, doesn't have any people. Zero. Another place we're taxing with tariffs is a US military base. China will be hit hard, 34% tariffs on top of the existing 20% tariffs put into place earlier this year. But many of our closest allies, the European Union and India, for example, will experience some of the bigger tariffs, as will countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, both of which export billions of dollars worth of goods to the United States. But again, some of the countries chosen just seem kind of strange. For example, there is now a 32% tariff on Indonesian coffee imports, despite the fact that the United States doesn't export coffee to Indonesia or, well, anywhere. We're putting a 41% tariff on Syria, which has been a little too busy with a civil war to really be a big trade issue for us, I think. And the Highest tariffs of 50% are on the country of Lesotho and a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland, because I actually have no idea. This is all, to put it very kindly, not ideal. And Treasury Secretary Scott Besant isn't making me feel better with this advice given on FOX News to other countries.

[Everett Kelly]

Well, we'll see what they do. My advice to every country right now.

[Jane Coston]

Is do not retaliate.

[Everett Kelly]

Sit back, take it in. Let's see how it goes.

[Jane Coston]

We punch you in the face, and you just deal with it. Cool. And the US Stock market seemed to agree with me with big drops across the board after Trump's announcement. But as we talked about on Yesterday's show, Trump 2.0 doesn't care about the stock market or your 401k or your dad's retirement fund. He cares about the workers. He invited Brian Panabaker, a retired autoworker and longtime UAW member, to sing his praises at the Rose Garden ceremony. We support Donald Trump's policies on tariffs 100%. So, Mr. President, we can't thank you enough. And in six months or a year, we're going to begin to see the benefits. I can't wait to see what's happening three or four years down the road. Thank you, Mr. President. But Trump doesn't care about workers equally. While he waxed nostalgic about the great American factories of the past and something about President William McKinley, his administration is continuing to wreck the jobs and lives of thousands of unionized federal workers. Since Inauguration Day, the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have fired more than 120,000 federal employees. Those workers stretch across every federal agency, from the National Institutes of Health to the National Park Service. And with an executive order signed last week, Donald Trump has now decided to go after the rights of federal employees to unionize and collectively bargain for better working conditions and higher wages. So I had to talk to Everett Kelly, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers. He's been a member of the AFGE since 1981. Everett, welcome to What a day.

[Donald Trump]

Thank you for having me.

[Jane Coston]

According to CNN, more than 120,000 federal workers have been fired since President Donald Trump took office. And thousands more layoffs are coming down the pipeline. The past several weeks have been defined by pure chaos and uncertainty. What have you been hearing from union members who have lost their jobs or are scared that they will in the coming weeks?

[Donald Trump]

It's very chaotic right now. Members are very confused. They are afraid. They don't even know how to plan. You know, next week, some of them are being fired for no apparent reason whatsoever. It just left everybody in a state of shock and confusion.

[Jane Coston]

Let's talk about the Trump administration's fork in the road offer. About 75,000 people took the deal for deferred resignations. Some federal agencies are giving workers a second chance to take the offer, extending the deadline to mid April. What has your guidance been to union members? Does the AFGE want members to stand their ground?

[Donald Trump]

At this point, we are just kind of allowing our members to make the decision for themselves. We still don't trust the fork in the road, but we decided that it's best just let employees make that decision for themselves and working with their financial planners and legal advisors.

[Jane Coston]

I think that there are some people who don't understand what this is doing to our country. And they're thinking like this. This is what I voted for. This is the smaller government that I was promised. What do you say to those people? What are some of the unexpected consequences of these cuts that will impact everyone?

[Donald Trump]

And that's exactly the truth because it's going to affect the services that we provide to the American public. It's going to affect the very democracy, if you will. Now, take for instance, you say you want to cut 83,000 jobs at the VA. Now, that mean that veterans are not going to be able to get the services that they need. Okay, you want to cut 75% of the people that inspect our food. That means that this food is not going to be inspected or it's going to be contracted out. And I think that's the end game, is that this administration want to contract out these jobs so they want to put the federal workers into a mission failure position so that they can say, look, I told you they couldn't do this work. And so they contracted out. And who get those contracts? You know, who paid for this election?

[Jane Coston]

Indeed. And the president isn't just firing federal workers. He's going after federal worker unions like the afge. He signed an executive order last week to end collective bargaining with unions that represent employees at the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, the State Department. The list goes on and on and on. How has this order already impacted you and your fellow union leaders ability to fight for your members?

[Donald Trump]

That was a very devastating attack because he put about a million federal workers in a position where they don't have a union to speak up for them, to talk up for them. But AFGE is going to be there. FGE has already filed a lawsuit against this action. We're going to be there. We're going to represent our members. But if I told you that it didn't affect us in any way, that wouldn't be the truth. It has, but we're going to continue. We live for our members. You know, they say it's about efficiency. It has nothing to do with efficiency. It has to do with the fact that we have been whooping them in court, we've been standing up for our members. And so this is a form of retaliation. That's what this is all about.

[Jane Coston]

Yeah. The AFGE was founded in the 1930s, but I think a lot of our listeners might not be familiar with the work you all do. Can you tell us a little bit about some of the fights the organization has taken on in the past?

[Donald Trump]

We are a labor union that want to make sure that employees are treated with fairness and dignity and that there is some accountability in the federal government. We make sure that if there is race, fraud and abuse, we point that out. We've done that on many occasions. We make sure that people are treated with fairness. When you start talking about promotions and stuff like that on a merit base, these are the faults that we fought. We fought to make sure that. That employees inside of the federal government are hired based on merits and not based on the color of their skin, not based on where you live, not based on where you went to school, not based on who you know, but purely on merits. And what this administration is doing is coming in and completely tearing that down and saying, I want to be able to hire people because I like them, because, you know, they've donated that time to me in a political campaign. That's the difference in what we have stood for and what this administration is doing.

[Jane Coston]

I don't know about you, but it feels different this time. The way that the Trump administration is going after federal employees, specifically across the board, whether you are working in the library system or whether you are working for the park system, aside from the courts, what other course of action can AFGE take?

[Donald Trump]

We would have to fight this fight through the court of public opinion. Because if the courts doesn't do us justice, the only other recourse we have is for the American people to begin to realize that their very democracies at stake, the services that the federal employees provide for them is at stake, such as Social Security, Veterans Administration, the war fighter equipment that he or she would need on the battlefield. When that began to be hampered, then the American people would stand up and say, enough is enough. I think that they are almost there. I think that the fact that we have been able to get some wins in court, and the judge actually said to the federal government, you lied. These employees were not fired because they were poor performers. In fact, they were great performers and government, why are you not telling the truth? So I think that is coming to light with a lot of people, and people are rising up. You're seeing rallies across the country. These are the type of things that we are asking people to do to show their support toward federal employees and the services that they receive from the federal employees and their union.

[Jane Coston]

Everett, thank you so much for being here.

[Donald Trump]

The pleasure is mine. Thank you for having me.

[Jane Coston]

That was my conversation with Everett Kelly, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees. We'll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads what areday is brought to you by Fast Growing Trees did you know that Fast Growing Trees is the biggest online nursery in the US which with thousands of different plants and over 2 million happy customers, they have all the plants your yard needs or your apartment. From fruit trees and privacy trees and flowering trees to shrubs to indoor plants and so much more. Whatever plants you're interested in, Fast Growing Trees has you covered. Find the perfect fit for your climate and space and Fast Growing Trees makes it easy to get your dream yard. Order online and get your plants delivered directly to your door in just a few days without ever leaving home. Their alive and thrive guarantee ensures your plants arrive happy and healthy. Plus get support from trained plant experts on call to help you plan your landscape, choose the right plants and learn how to care for them. I love to garden, but I don't really have the space for it. But Fast Growing trees has over 6,000 plants to fit any space from apartments to a house with a big yard. Pretty much anything you can think of, and their 14 point quality checklist ensures you're getting the best quality plants possible. Each plant is cared for individually based on their needs, from watering routines to the amount of sunlight, giving your plants the care they deserve from the time they start growing to when they ship to your home. Want to get into plants and gardening but don't have any experience? Their website has all the information you need and every plant comes with instructions and tips to care for your new plant this spring. They have the best deals for your yard, up to half off of select plants and other deals and listeners to our show get 15% off their first purchase when using the code Watt at checkout. That's an additional 15% off at fastgrowingtrees.com using the code WAD at checkout fastgrowingtrees.com code WAD now is the perfect time to plant. Use WAD to save today. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

[Everett Kelly]

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[Jane Coston]

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[Donald Trump]

Head of Lines.

[Everett Kelly]

But I've got to.

[Jane Coston]

Tell you, as a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could have imagined that I'd be taking on the richest man in the world.

[Everett Kelly]

For justice in Wisconsin, and we won.

[Jane Coston]

Liberal county Judge Susan Crawford defeated her conservative opponent Tuesday night in a race for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. It was seen as a litmus test for Democratic momentum against the Trump administration and Elon Musk. He and his allies poured more than $20 million into the race. The takeaway money. Even tens of millions of dollars can't buy you everything because the race wasn't even close. Crawford beat conservative county Judge Brad Schimmel by 10 points. That's a lot in a swing state that Donald Trump won by less than a point just a few months ago. Crawford said her resounding win sends a clear message. Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy.

[Everett Kelly]

Our fair elections and our Supreme Court.

[Jane Coston]

And Wisconsin stood up and said loudly.

[Everett Kelly]

That justice does not have a price.

[Jane Coston]

Our courts are not for sale. I think it also sends a clear message that people do not like Elon Musk. Democrats also got some positive feedback in two special congressional elections in Florida. Now, did the party's nominees pull off a miracle and win seats Republican candidates carried by 30 points in November? Well, no. No, they did not. But they lost by less, significantly less in the race to fill the seat vacated by Trump's new national security adviser, Mike Waltz. The Democrat, Josh Wheal, lost to Republican State Senator randy fine by 14 points. And in the Florida Panhandle district vacated by disgraced former Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, Democrat Gay Vallomont lost to Republican Jimmy Petronas, also by about 14 points, because we love a Hogwarts Mafioso in this country. So while those aren't wins, Democrats are taking the narrower margins as a positive. There are some signs of hope. New York City Mayor Eric Adams had a good day in court Wednesday. A federal judge dismissed corruption charges against him with prejudice. That's court speak for the Trump administration can't revive the charges against the Democratic mayor, which is not what it wanted. Federal prosecutors had charged Adams with bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy last fall. But in February, Trump officials argued in court that the case against Adams should be dropped entirely for a couple of reasons. They said the charges were filed too close to the upcoming mayoral election and that the attorneys who originally filed the case had bad motives. But most notably, the administration argued Adams couldn't do his job as mayor and enforce Trump's immigration crackdown if he's under criminal investigation. They also wanted the option to bring back the charges in the future. On that point, Manhattan District Judge Dale Ho said in his dismissal Wednesday, everything here smacks of a bargain dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions. He called bullshit on the administration's other arguments, too. Adams, who's running for reelection this year, has maintained his innocence all along. He did so again Wednesday after the dismissal.

[Donald Trump]

Let me be clear. As I said all along, this case should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong. I'm now happy that our city can finally close the book on this and focus solely on the future of our great city.

[Jane Coston]

But Adams also seems to know who really holds his fate here. At the end of his speech, he held up a copy of the book Government Gangsters, written by Trump's FBI director, Kash Patel. Adams said he would encourage all New Yorkers to read it. Do yourself a favor, New Yorkers don't read that book. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that Israel is seizing territory in the Gaza Strip in an attempt to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Here he is in a video, Netanyahu says. There we are now dividing the strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that they will give us our hostages. And as long as they do not give them to us, the pressure will increase. Until they do. Netanyahu hinted the newly claimed area could cut off the southern Gaza City of Rafah from the rest of the strip. Israel has already issued evacuations for Rafah, the country's defense minister said that some of the land captured by Israel would be added to security zones the Israeli Defense Forces maintain in Gaza. It comes as Gaza's civil defense said an Israeli airstrike hit a United nations building in the north, killing several people. Israel resumed its attacks on Hamas in Gaza in March after negotiations to extend an earlier ceasefire broke down. Amazon is throwing its hat in the ring, allegedly According to multiple news sources, the e commerce giant has made a last minute bid to purchase TikTok, the New York Times first reported the story. A law that was passed with bipartisan support last year and upheld by the Supreme Court over national security concerns requires TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance, to sell the app to an approved buyer or face a potential ban in the US the original sell by date was set for January, but on his first day in office, President Trump extended the deadline. The company now has until Saturday to figure out how to keep it online. As of our recording time, Amazon has not commented on the matter. It remains to be seen if ByteDance will, you know, bite. It has previously said it did not plan to sell the app. And that's the news. Before we go on this week's Hysteria, Sam Bee joins Alyssa Mastromonico to co host. They dig into the South Carolina Planned Parenthood Supreme Court case that could cut off Medicaid funding and set a dangerous precedent for other states. As a board member of her state's Planned Parenthood affiliate, Sam shares her perspective on what's at stake. And as we talked about on yesterday's show, Planned Parenthood isn't just about abortion access. It's a lifeline for millions of people who rely on it for cancer screenings, birth control, basic healthcare checkups. They also break down how Canada is processing the chaos in the US because as a Canadian, some Sam has thoughts. Listen to Hysteria Now. Wherever you get your podcasts, new episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss one. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, check that you aren't on a Mike Waltz signal chat and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, I'm not just about how. According to a new Politico report, National Security Advisor Waltz had at least 20 different signal groups for various conflicts around the world. Like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and seriously, Mike, we can talk on Signal too. Water Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Raven Yamamoto and Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. We had production help today from Johanna Case, Joseph Dutra, Greg Walters and Julia Claire. Our senior producer is Erika Morrison and our executive producer is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

[Everett Kelly]

Psoriatic arthritis symptoms can be unpredictable I had.

[Donald Trump]

Joint pain and I couldn't move like I used to.

[Jane Coston]

I needed relief.

[Everett Kelly]

I got Cosentix.

[Donald Trump]

It helped me move better.

[Everett Kelly]

Cosentyx Secukinumab is prescribed for people 2 years of age and older with active psoriatic arthritis. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx. Before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections. Some were fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough, had a vaccine or planned to, or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at 1-844-cosentyx or cosentyx.com.

[Donald Trump]

Ask your rheumatologist about Cosentyx.