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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump’s Misleading Justification for Higher Tariffs on Imports of EU Goods

Trump’s Misleading Justification for Higher Tariffs on Imports of EU Goods

The United States and the European Union have reached a preliminary trade deal to avoid a 30% U.S. tariff on imported goods from the EU that President Donald Trump threatened would go into effect on Aug. 1. Trump had argued that higher tariffs were needed because EU tariffs and nontariff policies “cause the large and unsustainable trade deficits” between the U.S. and the EU, but economists disputed that statement.

Trump’s 100th Day Spin

Trump’s 100th Day Spin

To commemorate his first 100 days in office this term, President Donald Trump gave a speech in Michigan and granted interviews to several news outlets. In our review of his remarks, we found false and misleading claims, including quite a few Trump has made before.

Independent Analyses Contradict Navarro’s $6 Trillion-Plus Tariff Revenue Estimate

Independent Analyses Contradict Navarro’s $6 Trillion-Plus Tariff Revenue Estimate

Before President Donald Trump paused some new tariffs that he unveiled on April 2, several economic groups estimated that tariffs he has announced this year could raise between roughly $2 trillion and more than $4 trillion in federal revenue over a 10-year period. But that’s well short of the $6 trillion or $7 trillion that White House trade adviser Peter Navarro claimed the tariffs would raise to help pay for tax cuts, including an extension of the 2017 tax law.

Trump’s Misleading Tariff Chart

Trump’s Misleading Tariff Chart

In his Rose Garden announcement of sweeping new “reciprocal tariffs,” President Donald Trump held aloft a misleading chart that claimed to give a breakdown of the tariffs other countries charge the U.S. and the corresponding tariff that the U.S. will now impose against those countries.

Trump on U.S. Imports of Oil and Lumber

Trump on U.S. Imports of Oil and Lumber

Days before he ordered, and then paused, new tariffs on U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico, President Donald Trump argued that the U.S. does not need imported products such as crude oil and lumber from those countries. Experts told us it’s not that simple.

FactChecking Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ Interview

FactChecking Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ Interview

In his first post-election, sit-down broadcast interview, President-elect Donald Trump outlined his priorities for a second term. But in the interview, Trump continued to repeat inaccurate information related to immigration, crime, trade, health care and the election.

Trump’s Problematic Claims on the Auto Industry

Trump’s Problematic Claims on the Auto Industry

In Michigan, former President Donald Trump has courted voters in the auto industry with false and no-evidence claims about Chinese auto plants in Mexico and auto industry growth under his administration.

Trump’s Latest False Claim About the U.S.-China Trade Deficit

Trump’s Latest False Claim About the U.S.-China Trade Deficit

The total U.S. trade deficit with China in goods and services in 2023 was about $252 billion, the lowest it has been in 14 years. Former President Donald Trump was way off when he falsely claimed that the U.S.-China trade gap is about four times as high.

Video: Highlights of the VP Debate

Video: Highlights of the VP Debate

In this video, we review some of the claims Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence made during the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7.