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Grassley: Trump’s new tariff threats are just ‘negotiating tool’ — for now

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Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday downplayed President-elect Donald Trump’s threats of broad tariffs against major U.S. trading partners as a “negotiating tool” — though he acknowledged he was concerned about the “potential” for another trade war.

Trump threatened a wave of blanket tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China Monday evening via a social media post, unless the countries stop the flow of drugs and immigrants into the U.S.

“I think you got to see it as a negotiating tool,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday morning.

Farm state Republican lawmakers like Grassley have been wary of how Trump’s threat for broad tariffs on the campaign trail could roil the U.S. agriculture sector again, just as American farmers are still recovering from Trump’s 2018 trade war against China.

Beijing slapped crippling retaliatory tariffs on U.S. farm products, which devastated farmers and rural communities, where Trump has strong electoral support. His administration used $28 billion in federal funding from the Agriculture Department to support farmers affected by his trade war.

Canada, Mexico and China are the U.S.’s largest agricultural trading partners.

“I’m concerned about the potential of it,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday morning, when asked if he was worried about another trade war on the horizon.

“But right now, I see everything that Trump’s doing on tariffs as a negotiating tool,” he reiterated. “And we’ll have to wait and see how successful he is about that.”

Grassley, who historically has been skeptical of tariffs, added that “we got enough wrong coming from other countries, taking advantage of the United States” that tariffs, or “other tools as well” could help. Though, he did acknowledge that China never purchased even half of the $200 billion in farm products it agreed to under Trump’s Phase One trade deal during his first term.

The Iowa Republican also painted the current issue as more of a trade imbalance, than Trump seeking to spur Mexico, China and Canada’s efforts to stem the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants into the U.S.

“You expect the United States government to fight for the interests of the United States and to stop other countries from subsidizing their products coming into the United States,” Grassley said. “That’s a violation of the rules of trade, international rules of trade.”

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Congress

Senate GOP ready to move on elections bill

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Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told reporters Monday the chamber will vote Tuesday to take up a House-passed elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.

The Wyoming Republican, whose job it is to help round up support, said he is “doing everything I can to make sure we get on this bill tomorrow.”

Republicans will need a simple majority to begin debate on the partisan legislation; they can lose three members and still let Vice President JD Vance break a tie.

So far, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has said he’s a “no,” while Republicans are also watching GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

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Jesse Jackson’s family withdraws posthumous endorsement in Illinois Senate primary

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The family of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson walked back a posthumous endorsement of Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Senate campaign on Monday, after the family said Jackson’s endorsements for Tuesday’s primaries were not completed before his death.

On Saturday, Stratton’s campaign touted an endorsement from Jackson, who died last month, and his son Yusef. The announcement came after Stratton saw Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Jackson family’s organziation, passing out sample ballots — which were also obtained by Blue Light News — that recommended Stratton.

“[Jackson’s] example has been a north star for me, and I’m deeply honored to have received his trust, support, and endorsement before his passing,” Stratton said in a statement on Saturday.

But on Monday, Yusef Jackson, who is the organization’s COO, said the draft sample ballot was “released without authorization” and that the Jackson family and Rainbow PUSH Coalition are not making political endorsements this cycle.

His father “began the process of reviewing candidates and identifying those he intended to support in the upcoming primary election,” Yusef Jackson said in the statement. “However, given his passing just over a month ago, the process was never fully completed. Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections given the process had not been finalized.”

The Stratton campaign said on Monday that officials with Rainbow PUSH Coalition said she had been endorsed by Jackson.

“Juliana spoke on Saturday at Rainbow PUSH for a Women’s History Month event and officials told her she received the endorsements. Organizers shared the sample election ballot that was already being distributed and encouraged her to share the news,” the Stratton campaign said in a statement.

The endorsement mix-up draws further scrutiny on the split among Black Democrats in Illinois between Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), who are both seeking to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. Some Democrats in the state have expressed concern that Stratton and Kelly could split the vote in Tuesday’s primary, creating a path for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) to win the nomination.

Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) told Blue Light News prior to the family’s statement that his father “never got in on Black-on-Black fights.”

Jonathan Jackson added that the races the late Jesse Jackson “was excited about” were himself and former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s comeback bid.

“He wouldn’t do that. He was always pushing the community forward,” Jackson said. “This smells of desperation.”

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Johnson on Trump’s Hormuz plan

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Speaker Mike Johnson said he supports President Donald Trump’s effort to build a global coalition ensure safe passage of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz — even if Trump “didn’t anticipate it” being necessary before launching airstrikes against Iran.

Speaking to reporters after attending a Washington event with Trump, Johnson said the president told him that “he anticipated the strait of Hormuz would be closed.”

“I don’t know that he didn’t anticipate it in the front end, but now it’s necessitated,” Johnson said. He added that the coalition is “a reasonable thing” for other countries to assist with and “it would be helpful.”

Asked about how much a potential supplemental package to fund the military action would cost, Johnson said, “We don’t know yet.” Estimates for the cost of the war have exceeding $1 billion per day.

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