In his speech to Congress, President Trump kept lying about his tariffs, falsely claiming that Canada is letting huge amounts of fentanyl into our country and suggesting the trade wars will only get worse. Then press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters directly that if Canada wants to avoid tariffs in the future, it should become the 51st U.S. state. She revealed it: Trump’s tariffs aren’t about fentanyl or any supposed unfair treatment of the U.S. They’re about forcing Canada, with no justification whatsoever, to submit to his will. Newsflash: It’s not okay for the American president to lie relentlessly about our allies and threaten them with economic Armageddon to bend them to his deranged, passing whims. We talked to Rolling Stone senior political reporter Asawin Suebsaeng, who’s been forcefully making that argument. He explains why Trump’s vile bullying of our allies deserves to be taken much more seriously, as a clear sign of Trump’s very real imperialist intentions. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.
PODCAST
Trump Press Sec Accidentally Blurts Out Real Goal of His Tariff Scam
As press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the quiet part out loud about Trump’s tariffs, a reporter who covers Trumpworld explains why his vile bullying of our allies should be taken a lot more seriously.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in Washington, D.C., on March 5, 2025