President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade agreement between the United States and the European Union on Sunday.
The declaration occurred only moments after the two spoke to the media, saying that the chances of reaching an agreement were around 50-50. Von der Leyen acknowledged that the discussions required significant effort, yet both leaders expressed satisfaction with the final outcome.
“We are agreeing that the tariff straight across for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15%,” Trump said.
“So we have a tariff of 15%. We have the opening up of all of the European countries, which I think I could say were essentially closed. I mean, you weren’t exactly taking our orders. You weren’t exactly taking our agriculture,” he added, addressing von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen said Europe will also purchase $150 billion worth of U.S. energy as part of the deal, in addition to making $600 billion in other investments into the U.S.
Some of the topline details about the trade deal can be seen below:
— An agreement to open up trade at 0% tariff
— EU to buy up to $750 billion of US energy
— EU to purchase “vast amounts” of US auto
— Tariffs on automobiles reduced to 15%
The deal is so good for the United States that liberals in America and even those in Europe are admitting that Trump got exactly what he wanted.
Former Ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland praised the significance of the deal and how it will “screw” Russia.
“Well, when I served as ambassador, we were trying desperately to get Europe to abandon Nord Stream 2 and buy energy from us. And, you know, back then, they were hooked on cheap Russian gas. They didn‘t think that Russia posed a threat to Europe. Look how a few years have changed things. So now they don‘t want to buy from Russia. They want to buy from the U.S.,” Sondland said.
“The E.U. knew they had to do something like this. They realized that now President Trump has the mandate to push it. He did not have the mandate in his first term because he was fighting a lot of impeachments and other things that didn‘t give him the, you know, the power to do what he‘s done now. So I think all the whining and complaining is for public consumption, but at the end of the day, we‘re very close to the E.U.. We do a lot of things together, both public and classified, and, you know, this is — whatever, you know, sore feelings there are over this negotiation are a small bump in the road and now we can move forward. I think this is a tremendous day for the United States. And I have to credit President Trump,” he added.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny claimed that the European Union’s trade deal with the United States “is a message that it’s better to do so rather than face a trade war.”
“We do know that China, of course, is one of the countries that there have been an on again/off again trade war. There‘s been a truce since May, but that expires on August 12th. So the question tomorrow, when Treasury secretary Scott Bessent meets with his Chinese counterparts in Stockholm, will there be an extension to that truce or will there be going back to the on again/off again, tit-for-tat trade war between Washington and Beijing? That is very much an open question.” Zeleny said.
“But the deal today reached with the EU certainly sends a message out to all other countries who have not yet signed deals that perhaps it‘s better to try and do so, rather than to face the threat of what the Trump Administration is proposing,” Zeleny added.
MSNBC’s Elise Jordan took a more pathetic route and said she wished that the European Union would have played “cat and mouse a little bit” on the trade deal with Trump.
“Yeah, because it’s a moment when the EU could have played with him a little bit, you know, cat and mouse a little bit. They have more leverage than, you know, giving in this quickly,” Jordan whined.
Maxwell Attorney Says Prison Staff Fired After Leaking Privileged Emails To Top Dem
Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney, Leah Saffian, confirmed that multiple federal prison staff members have been fired for illegally accessing Maxwell’s privileged attorney-client emails and leaking them to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). Saffian said the actions taken at Federal Prison Camp Bryan involved the improper intrusion into Maxwell’s email system, the theft of confidential legal correspondence, and the transmission of those emails to a federal official.
She said that the official was Raskin, who then released the emails to members of the media under the label of whistleblower information.
Saffian argued that the disclosure violated Maxwell’s constitutional rights, including the First Amendment’s protection of confidential communications, the Sixth Amendment’s right to effective legal counsel, and the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of due process.
According to Maxwell’s attorney, prison employees improperly accessed the Bureau of Prisons’ TRULINCS email system, which inmates use to communicate with the outside world.
She said those emails were then passed to Raskin, who provided them to the press without verifying how the emails were obtained or the credibility of the source.
Saffian said, “The release to the media by Congressman Raskin (Dem., Maryland), of Ms. Maxwell’s privileged client-attorney email correspondence with me is as improper as it is a denial of justice.”
She added, “Congressman Raskin is a Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, an attorney and law professor. He must be aware that his conduct undermines the whole legal process. His action should be a matter for professional disciplinary action.”
She also confirmed that employees at Federal Prison Camp Bryan “have been terminated for improper, unauthorized access to the email system used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to allow inmates to communicate with the outside world.”
Saffian said, “The provision of those emails to a federal official who then caused them to be shared with the media is a breach of constitutional protections including the First, Sixth and Fourteenth amendments afforded to all prisoners.”
She added that labeling the disclosures as whistleblower material “does not mitigate the fact that the mails were both illegally obtained and put to unconstitutional purpose.”
Saffian argued that Raskin’s office made “no effort to fact check the credibility or veracity of the so called ‘whistleblower.’”
She said it was “shocking and reprehensible” that the congressman used the contents of Maxwell’s emails with a family member “to make political capital.”
Saffian also disputed claims that Maxwell was attempting to secure a pardon or commutation.
She said Maxwell “has never sought a pardon” and has not asked former President Trump or anyone else for clemency.
Saffian said Maxwell is preparing a habeas corpus petition that challenges her conviction and raises new claims of government and juror misconduct.
Saffian said, “Ms. Maxwell will shortly be filing a Habeas petition with the Federal District Court (SDNY). Habeas petitions are distinct from petitions to the Supreme Court, in that they relate to prisoners’ rights and conviction challenges.”
She added, “Contrary to Rep. Raskin’s assertion, Ms. Maxwell has not requested a commutation – or made a Pardon – application to the second Trump Administration.”
Saffian said the habeas filing includes new evidence that was not available at trial and alleges misconduct “pre-, during, and post-trial” by both government officials and a juror.
She said the petition “demonstrates unequivocally” that such misconduct “makes the verdict at the very least unsafe.”
Raskin’s office did not confirm or deny the termination of prison staff.
Instead, a spokesperson said they would not comment on any information that could reveal whistleblower identities and accused prison officials of retaliating against staff.
The spokesperson said, “Any effort by BOP to intimidate, silence, or retaliate against anyone, including inmates and staff with information on Ms. Maxwell’s outrageous preferential treatment is unacceptable.”