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TOP OF THE DAY by Howard Polskin

Apr. 4, 2025

Greetings! A growing number of right wing outlets are sounding the alarm about Donald Trump’s tariffs. With a one-two punch, the Rupert Murdoch-controlled New York Post and Wall Street Journal have led the anti-tariff charge. With uncharacteristic understatement, the NY Post notes the “confusion and uncertainty” The Donald’s trade policies have sowed. Meanwhile, the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal voices concern about the tariffs with a welcome dose of snark.  “President Trump said there would be ‘a little disturbance’ from his tariffs, but how does he define little? The stock market Thursday suffered its worst day since the government pandemic shut down in March 2020,” the editors wrote. “Not to worry, the White House says tariffs will eventually be worth the pain. Feeling better?” The sober-minded National Review called the tariffs “reckless” and warned that American consumers will effectively get hit with the biggest  “peacetime tax increase in U.S. history.” Newmax writer Veronique de Rugy sniffed that “Liberation Day” means taxpayers will be liberated from their cash. And the Washington Examiner examined the tariff’s crazy math and termed it a “spectacular statistical manipulation, or to put it more bluntly, fraud.” Worth noting: as of 10 a.m. ET today, Foxnews.com’s homepage has ignored the 1,000 point Dow nosedive.…Headline of the day, courtesy of the satirical right wing The Babylon Bee: “Dodgers Bankrupted as Trump Places 25% Tariff on Japanese Players”…Weekend watch:  If you’ve got the courage to look, take a peek at the value of your 401K.  It’s called a horror show. Thanks Mr. President!…If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard