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| President Donald Trump speaks before he departs Shannon Airport, Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Shannon, Ireland.
(Associated Press)
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President Donald Trump said there was a “good chance” of a deal with Mexico over migration as he flew back from Europe on Friday, just days ahead of tariffs taking effect on Mexican products.
MEXICO TALKS
As U.S. and Mexican officials talked in Washington, Trump tweeted from Air Force One that Mexico would buy U.S. farm products “at very high levels.” That appeared to be a new development in talks that have to date centered on Trump's demands that Mexico curb the flow of Central American migrants to the U.S. border. Trump has said 5% tariffs on all Mexican goods would begin Monday in the absence of a deal, and rise over time to 25%.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1137045728344170496
Also Friday, White House economist Kevin Hassett and Mark Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, both made positive comments on the U.S.-Mexico talks, taking place at the State Department. Short told reporters the tariffs could be halted if discussions went well.
U.S. stocks (DJIA) jumped
Friday as a disappointing jobs report fueled hopes of an interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
Now see:
How Mexico tariffs could hurt $600 billion in cross-border trade — and the U.S. economy.
MOON-POLICY CRITICISM
Less than a month after saying the U.S. would go back to the moon and then to Mars, Trump said in a tweet, “for all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!”
It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump meant by calling the moon part of Mars. A White House spokesman didn’t immediately return a request for comment. But Trump's comment came a day after NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told USA Today the agency won’t be able to meet a 2024 deadline to land astronauts on the moon unless Congress approves the Trump administration’s request for an additional $1.6 billion in next year’s budget.
Now read:
Congress set aside money to help students go to college, but the Trump administration wants to use it for a moon mission.
‘NERVOUS NANCY’
Trump also
dubbed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “Nervous Nancy” in a separate tweet that appeared to reference reported comments by her, in which she told senior Democrats she’d like to see the president “in prison.”
“Nervous Nancy Pelosi is a disgrace to herself and her family for having made such a disgusting statement, especially since I was with foreign leaders overseas. There is no evidence for such a thing to have been said,” Trump tweeted. Politico reported Pelosi made the comment in a meeting with senior Democrats as lawmakers debate opening an impeachment inquiry against Trump in the wake of
former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
The president implored Democrats to work with him on lowering prescription drug prices and infrastructure. In May, Trump broke off talks with Democrats on infrastructure after Pelosi accused him of engaging in a “coverup.”
Also read:
Here’s where the 2020 Democratic candidates stand on impeaching Trump.
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