(Politico.com 5/15/24) "Back in 2018, lawmakers of both parties greeted Trump's decision to slap tariffs on Chinese imports with widespread derision. Six years later, most members of Congress are applauding Biden's extension--and in some cases, expansion--of those tariffs. The contrasting reactions to similar policy moves is yet another reminder of just how much the political consensus has shifted against free trade. Biden's administration spent much of his term debating what to do with the duties Trump put on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese imports, before finally announcing that he will increase Trump-era duties on steel, aluminum and clean energy products from China, including quadrupling tariffs on electric vehicles, while keeping the rest in place.
TRUMP: It's not going to drive them higher. It's just going to force them to pay us a lot of money, and reduce our deficit tremendously.
BIDEN: But these 10% tariffs [on] everything coming into the country, you know what the economists say? That's going to cost the average American $2,500 a year and more, because they're going to have to pay the difference in food and all the things that are very important.
TRUMP: This guy never took out my tariffs because we bring in so much money with the tariffs that I imposed on China. He never took them away. He can't because it's too much money. It's tremendous. And we saved our steel industries. And there was more to come, but he hasn't done that. But he hasn't cut the tariffs because he can't, because it's too much money.
[See FactCheck that indeed Biden has kept Trump's tariffs]
TRUMP: That was a made-up quote, "suckers and losers." They made it up. It was in a third-rate magazine that's failing [referring to The Atlantic magazine]. He made that up. He put it in commercials.
BIDEN: You had a four-star general stand at your side, who was on your staff, who said you said it, period [referring to Trump chief of staff John Kelly]. He acknowledged after it that he fired that general. That general got fired because he's the one that acknowledged that that's what he said. He was the one standing with Trump when he said it, number one.[See FactCheck: Yes, The Atlantic reported this].
TRUMP: Because the tax cuts spurred the greatest economy that we've ever seen just prior to COVID, and even after COVID.
Q: [To Biden]: So far, your administration has approved $4.3 trillion in new debt.
BIDEN: We have a thousand billionaires in America. And what's happening? They're in a situation where they, in fact, pay 8.2% in taxes. If they just paid 24% or 25%, either one of those numbers, they'd raise $500 billion dollars in a 10-year period. We'd be able to right wipe out his debt. We'd be able to help make sure that all those things we need to do--childcare, elder care, making sure that we continue to strengthen our healthcare system.
BIDEN: "Number one, everyone from the United Nations Security Council straight through to the G7 to the Israelis & Netanyahu himself have endorsed the plan I put forward, which has three stages to it. The first stage is to treat the hostages for a ceasefire. Second phase is a ceasefire with additional conditions. The third phase is know the end of the war. The only one who wants the war to continue is Hamas, number one. They're the only ones standing down [on accepting the Biden plan]. We're still pushing hard to get them to accept." [See FactCheck confirming United Nations acceptance].
The United Nations Security Council has endorsed President Biden's step-by-step plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. After a 14 to 0 vote, with Russia abstaining, the U.S. Ambassador said the council is sending a clear message to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Biden administration says Israel already accepted the deal. Hamas called off negotiations after Israel rescued four hostages held in Gaza in an operation [in early June 2024] that also killed more than 270 Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not [accepted the deal] outright.
The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey was conducted online among more than 500 members of the American Political Science Association, an organization of professionals in the field. Respondents rated Biden at 63 on a scale of 100 for overall greatness, good for 14th out of 45 presidents. Abraham Lincoln scored the highest rating at 94. Trump scored 11. President James Buchanan, the second-worst rated president, scored 17. Republicans and conservatives notably rank Trump worse than Biden, as well. Meanwhile, Biden was ranked 30th by both. Trump was also rated the most polarizing president.
But the rally may not be enough to quiet an already widespread panic in the Democratic Party over Biden's debate performance against Trump. Biden's raspy voice, trailing answers and deflated stage presence during the 90-minute debate brought into the open what was once a taboo topic: replacing him on the top of the ticket.
TRUMP: First of all, the Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill. And I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.
BIDEN: The fact is that the vast majority of constitutional scholars supported Roe when it was decided. And this is the guy [Trump] who says the states should be able to have it. We're in a state where in six weeks, you don't even know whether you're pregnant or not, but you cannot see the doctor or have your--and have him decide on what your circumstances are, whether you need help. The idea that states are able to do this is a little like saying, we're going to turn civil rights back to the states. Let each state have a different rule.
TRUMP: Well, I said my retribution is going to be success. We're going to make this country successful again because right now it's a failing nation.
BIDEN: The idea that you have a right to seek retribution against any American just because you're president is simply wrong. No president's ever spoken like that before. No president in our history has spoken like that before.
TRUMP: No, they're not acceptable. But look, this is a war that never should have started. I will have that war settled between Putin and Zelenskyy as president-elect before I take office on January 20th. I'll have that war settled. People being killed so needlessly, so stupidly, and I will get it settled and I'll get it settled fast before I take office.
BIDEN: The fact is that Putin is a war criminal. He's killed thousands and thousands of people. And he has made one thing clear, he wants to re-establish what was part of the Soviet Empire, not just a piece, he wants all of Ukraine. That's what he wants. And then do you think he'll stop there? Do you think he'll stop if he takes Ukraine? What do you think happens to Poland? What do you think of Belarus? What do you think happens to those NATO countries?
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The above quotations are from First Trump-Biden Debate: 2024 Presidential Election.
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