Tag Archives: Howard Lutnick

Irish Star: Karoline Leavitt [Bimbo #1] gives baffling response when asked about massive tariff on Madagascar

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed concerns about the impact of Trump’s sweeping tariffs on low-income countries with high poverty rates, such as Madagascar.

“The reciprocal tariff rates were implemented by countries were focused on the monetary tariff those countries imposed on the United States, and the non-monetary barriers, making it harder for America to export to these countries,” Leavitt explained.

But in reality:

Madagascar, which has a trade surplus with the United States, is now facing a hefty 47% tariff on all its exports to the US, including vanilla. Despite Madagascar’s minimal dependence on U.S. exports, the steep tariff essentially aims to curb American consumption of over a thousand tons of vanilla annually.

According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who expressed his views on CNBC, Madagascar was accused of “picking on us.”

Karoline Leavitt gives baffling response when asked about massive tariff on Madagascar
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the 47% tariff placed on Madagascar, which is a significant exporter of vanilla, but her response has left many confused

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/karoline-leavitt-gives-baffling-response-when-asked-about-massive-tariff-on-madagascar/ar-AA1CxAhr

Guardian: Doge’s attack on social security causing ‘complete, utter chaos’, staff says

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Understaffed agency sent into ‘death spiral’ as employees warn Musk-led cuts will lead to structural collapse

Office closures, staffing and service cuts, and policy changes at the Social Security Administration (SSA) have caused “complete, utter chaos” and are threatening to send the agency into a “death spiral”, according to workers at the agency.

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The SSA website has crashed several times this month. Wired reported Doge staff want to migrate all social security data and rewrite code in months, which could cause system collapse and further outages.

The agency plans to eliminate the jobs of 7,000 workers at the agency through voluntary buyouts, resignations or firings, though the union representing SSA employees anticipate even more firings beyond cutting staff to 50,000 workers.

Acting commissioner Leland Dudek has acknowledged to staff that Doge are making the decisions at the agency. Musk, Donald Trump and others have claimed action is being taken to tackle widespread fraud at the agency.

Dudek was appointed acting commissioner after he reportedly secretly shared information with Doge staff. He has threatened to shut down the agency in response to a court order barring Doge from accessing the data.

Doge’s attack on social security causing ‘complete, utter chaos’, staff says
Understaffed agency sent into ‘death spiral’ as employees warn Musk-led cuts will lead to structural collapse

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/06/musk-doge-social-security

Daily Mail: White House officials are quietly freaking out about Trump upcoming ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement

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The mood inside the White House is verging on panic with just days to go before Donald Trump‘s ‘Liberation Day’ on April 2.

Trump is expected to unveil sweeping new tariffs on America’s global trading partners, but those tasked with implementing his agenda admit they’re uncertain.

Behind closed doors, top administration officials are deeply concerned, with many quietly admitting they’re unsure what the president is actually going to do.

‘No one knows what the f*** is going on,’ one White House ally close to Trump’s inner circle told Politico. 

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But with less than a week to go, even the most basic details including which countries will be hit, at what rates, and for which goods, remain undecided or constantly shifting.

White House officials freaking out about Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’
White House officials are increasingly alarmed ahead of Trump’s April 2 ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement, uncertain of its scope or targets with a series of conflicting signals from the president.

White House officials are quietly freaking out about Trump upcoming ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement | Daily Mail Online

Howard Lutnick, Fool: Grannies won’t complain if they don’t receive their Social Security checks

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Presumptuous moron!

Howard Lutnick, Fool
Howard Lutnick, Fool

The fastest way to start a revolution and throw Krasnov out of office is to start withholding the Social Security checks of 70 million Americans.

As the staff cuts at the Social Security Administration leave monthly benefit payments to tens of millions of Americans up in the air — alarming former SSA leaders on both sides of the aisle — Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, doesn’t think you should be complaining if your check doesn’t show up.

“Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks this month — my mother-in-law, who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain. She just wouldn’t,” Lutnick told All-In Podcast hosts David Friedberg and Chamath Palihapitiya on Thursday. “She’d think something got messed up, and she’ll get it next month.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says his mother-in-law wouldn’t complain if her Social Security check didn’t arrive this month

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says his mother-in-law wouldn’t complain if her Social Security check didn’t arrive this month