Tariffs
For the last week, as the tariffs were implemented, Democrats have been screaming that President Donald Trump destroyed your IRA. I guess that argument is over as the Dow jumped more than 2,900 points Thursday. Countries are lining up to negotiate with the U.S. and China is isolated. Trump will reset the global economy to help the average American worker. This is long overdue.
Even with the pandemic-era growth, real wages are still not at the levels they would at in the late 1970s. The spending power of the average American has barely moved in the last 10 years. The decay of the rust belt was actually the decay of the American worker. Many of the jobs our fathers did were moved overseas.
As Trump negotiates better trade deals with the rest of the world, jobs will return to the U.S. Reducing regulations will speed the process of growth. Government will be smaller, jobs will grow in the private sector and trade will be more balanced. And maybe, just maybe, the average worker will have more money to spend at the end of the week. The Democrats cry Trump is causing chaos; Trump knows there is lots of opportunity in chaos.
David Murphy, Virginia Beach
Stock market
The Dow posted back-to-back losses of more than 1,500 points for the first time ever, including a 2,231-point shellacking on April 4.
The S&P 500 dropped 6% on April 4 for its worst performance since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
The Nasdaq Composite had losses on April 3 and April 4 of nearly 6% apiece.
The value of bonds has also dropped precipitously.
What was the president doing last weekend to staunch the bleeding his actions caused? President Donald Trump played golf at his resort in Florida, costing taxpayers millions.
Thanks very much to the people who voted for a convicted criminal with six bankruptcies on his business record to handle the finances of the entire United States. Brilliant!
Michael Harp, Virginia Beach
Credibility
U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans touted her military service as a pillar of her experience when running to represent the 2nd District, and for good reason. It evokes a sense of moral leadership and sensibility that we expect from servicemembers who have dedicated their lives to defending our Constitution. Unfortunately, Kiggans’ response to recent events has undermined her credibility, as she has proven repeatedly that she cares more about sticking to her party’s message than standing up for what is right.
Her response to Signalgate was underwhelming to say the least. When asked about it in her recent telephone town hall, she reiterated a vague “concern” but pivoted to the success of the mission, as though the violation was on par with a teenager caught skipping school. The town hall itself, advertised less than 24 hours before the RSVP date, was a laughable attempt to refute accusations that she is unavailable to her constituents.
Her response to questions about tariffs was less funny. In the same call, Kiggans parroted talking points about the long-term economy, insisting that the president knows what he’s doing, and cast off legitimate fears as fearmongering. Maybe the congresswoman can’t connect the dots between this and the president’s long history of bankruptcies but I find it more likely that she simply lacks the conviction to do what is right.
Brittany Culbertson, Virginia Beach
No rights
Re “Rights” (Your Views, April 3): Illegal immigrants do not have any rights. They came into this country illegally, so they do not have any rights. They broke the law, so they are criminals.
If you are here legally, and you are behaving yourself, you are in no danger of being deported. Why are you worried?
Jim Crutchfield, Virginia Beach