SmartNews

CNN's Kate Bolduan was gobsmacked by China's escalation of president Donald Trump's trade war.

China announced retaliatory tariffs of 84 percent on U.S. imports Wednesday matching Trump's additional duties of 50 percent, bringing his so-called reciprocal tariffs to 104 percent on Chinese imports, and the tit-for-tat escalation of the president's trade policy has rattled global markets.

As the markets fall sharply, President Donald Trump seems to be blissfully unaware of how this will cost the GOP financially during a Tuesday night fundraising dinner, according to a NOTUS report.

"There was an elephant in the room: the roiling unease among some members of his party — and major donors — regarding the tariffs on the eve of their implementation," the article, which holds a double byline for Alex Roarty and Taylor Giorno, noted.

The New York Times on Wednesday interviewed several experts on international trade who were utterly baffled by President Donald Trump's obsession with bilateral trade deficits, which Trump has long cited as evidence that other nations are "taking advantage" of the United States.

In reality, a trade deficit simply means that the United States imports more net goods from foreign countries than foreign countries import from the United States, and experts say that there are many reasons such trade deficits exist that have nothing to do with other nations "cheating" in international trade.

“Quantitative easing,” “dynamic scoring,” and “current-policy baseline” are just some of the "odd phrases" being used to "obscure" economic policy, according to one Washington Post Columnist.

George F. Will slammed the GOP for their "wild Republican verbal gymnastics" when attempting to "justify asserting that a permanent extension of the [2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act] under reconciliation will not add to the deficit."

President Donald Trump gave no indication that he intends to back down from his so-called reciprocal tariffs after they went into effect against about 90 countries.

China responded to his punishing 104-percent duties with 84 percent tariffs against American imports, and while Trump boasted at a Republican National Committee fundraising event that world leaders were "kissing my a--" to avoid the double-digit tariffs, he encouraged foreign companies to move their operations into the U.S.

CNN's Elie Honig placed the detention and interrogation of a Detroit-area civil rights attorney into a broader pattern by president Donald Trump attacks against the legal establishment.

Michigan lawyer Amir Makled believes he was singled out by border agents due to his representation of a pro-Palestinian protester, and Honig believes that's right in line with the executive orders Trump has issued targeting some of the country's most prominent law firms, some of which have agreed to do free legal work to avoid his sanctions.

Billionaires who supported Donald Trump, as well as others in the MAGA universe, are starting to question their decision in the light of the President's economics policy, according to an expert.

Noted economist Jared Bernstein, former chair of the United States Council of Economic Advisers, appeared on MSNBC early Wednesday morning. In the initial part of the interview, Bernstein claimed that Trump was "burning down the house" as opposed to taking out the trash.

President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs against nearly 100 countries snapped into place Tuesday, and a former Republican congressman trashed his plans as simply "bad."

The tuxedo-wearing president boasted Tuesday night at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual fundraising dinner that world leaders were "kissing my a--" to get around his punishing tariffs, including a massive 104-percent duty against Chinese imports, and former GOP lawmaker Charlie Dent told CNN that Trump's trade war made no sense.

Donald Trump is "burning down the house" with his economic policy, according to the former chair of the United States Council of Economic Advisers.

Noted economist Jared Bernstein appeared on MSNBC on Wednesday, where he was asked about Trump's recent decision to impose "punishing" tariffs on China. Bernstein claimed that the "consequences have been real."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer found himself under the microscope late Tuesday when a CNN anchor pressed him on whether he ought to retain his leadership role in his chamber.

Anchor Brianna Keilar ended her 10-minute interview with Schumer by showing the New York Democrat a clip of fellow Democratic Sen. Cory Booker (NJ) telling a podcast host he shouldn't be the new minority leader.

Legal experts applauded two law firms late Tuesday that sought permanent relief after being targeted by President Donald Trump's executive orders.

Trump targeted the law firms Jenner & Block and WilmerHale through executive orders due to their ties to investigations and legal actions that he alleged were politically motivated

The turmoil set off by Donald Trump’s Rose Garden “Liberation Day” announcement that ushered in a sweeping set of tariffs on international goods and sunk markets to historic lows is also having a major effect on the president’s popularity, Puck News’ Peter Hamby reported Tuesday.

And that could spell the end of his second term post-inauguration honeymoon, which one polling analyst noted traditionally “don’t end in April.”

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow tore into President Donald Trump's Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, over a recent report that he is ordering federal employees to essentially cater to his every whim, including doing things that are not in the interest of taxpayers.

One particular story that got her cracking up was Burgum's apparent demand to be served warm, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.