Trump’s Winning the Trade War, Exposing the Border Scam, and Still the Only One Cutting Drug Prices

The Left is throwing tantrums, lawsuits, and leak probes—but Trump just keeps checking boxes they swore were impossible.

Apr 16, 2025

Good Morning, its April 16th, 2025.

It’s Wednesday, and the cracks in the system are turning into craters. Trump told China the truth: “You need us—we don’t need you.” With tariffs hitting 145%, Beijing is cornered. Back home, Democrats are melting down over the SAVE Act because it dares to block illegal voting—and one senator is actually flying to El Salvador to retrieve a deported MS-13 suspect. Meanwhile, Trump slashed drug prices with a pen, freezing out Big Pharma and making Biden’s fake wins look even more pathetic. The deep state? Busy investigating leaks from inside the Pentagon after a Trump-aligned adviser got too close to the truth. And in case you missed it, 530,000 illegal migrants just had their legal status protected by a liberal judge who thinks lawlessness is compassion.

We’re not witnessing chaos. We’re witnessing accountability—and the system is terrified.

Trump to China: We Don’t Need a Deal—You Do

Trump just made it crystal clear: China’s on the hook, not us.

As tensions rise in the global trade war, President Trump announced Tuesday that he's open to a deal—but he’s not begging for one. “The ball is in China’s court,” he said from the Oval Office, doubling down on a 145% tariff wall that’s already sending shockwaves through Beijing’s economy. China responded by hiking its tariffs to 125%, but behind closed doors, they’re flailing. Trump’s message? We don’t need your junk. You need our dollars.

Here’s what you need to know: Trump has paused tariff hikes on other countries, but not on China. He’s playing hardball—intentionally—and he’s doing it at a time when China’s economy is teetering under internal pressure. The goal isn’t just a trade win—it’s to reassert America’s leverage.

Why it matters: Conservatives have wanted this fight for decades. For too long, China’s stolen our tech, flooded our markets with garbage, and used U.S. consumers to prop up its regime. Now they’re facing a real president who doesn’t blink. And the media? They’re spinning it as “economic instability” instead of what it is: economic accountability.

What the Left is hiding is that Biden would’ve begged for a deal by now. Instead, Trump’s telling China to come to the table—or get locked out of the world’s largest market. This isn’t isolationism. It’s America First with teeth.

What they don’t want you to see: “China wants what every country wants: the American consumer. Or to put it another way, they need our money.” That’s not arrogance—it’s leverage. And Trump’s the only one who knows how to use it.

Bottom line: Trump isn’t bluffing. He’s building a trade fortress, and China’s got two options—deal or drown. This is what leadership looks like when you care more about your citizens than your globalist donor list.

White House Calls Out Democrats for Prioritizing Illegals Over Americans

The gloves are off—and the White House just accused Democrats of betraying the American people.

In a fiery statement, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Democrats for opposing the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. Leavitt said it was “mind-boggling” that so many Democrats are actively working to protect illegal immigrants at the expense of everyday Americans. The Biden-era position, she added, “was always more about expanding their voter base than defending democracy.”

Why it matters: Conservatives have warned for years that the Left's border obsession wasn’t about compassion—it was about power. Now, with election integrity on the line, Democrats are showing their hand. They're not just turning a blind eye to illegal voting—they’re fighting to keep it possible.

What they’re hiding: More than a dozen Democrat-aligned groups funded by George Soros have come out swinging against the SAVE Act. Why? Because it would close the loopholes that let non-citizens slip onto voter rolls, especially in blue strongholds with lax ID enforcement.

The real impact? If Democrats succeed, the 2026 midterms will be flooded with unverifiable ballots—and any challenge will be labeled "extremism." Trump’s allies in Congress are pushing back, but the media’s treating this like a niche issue. It’s not. It’s the ballgame.

Trump Slashes Drug Prices Again—Revives Plan Biden Tried to Take Credit For

Trump just dropped the hammer on Big Pharma—and rewrote the script on drug prices.

On Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order targeting Medicare drug costs, reopening the program he originally launched during his first term and setting it on steroids. The new order directs HHS, under RFK Jr., to cap insulin and accelerate approval for generics, state importation programs, and biosimilars. It also forces Medicare to align payments more closely with hospitals' actual drug acquisition costs—where the government’s been overpaying by up to 35%.

Key point? Trump’s aiming to beat the 22% savings Biden’s team claimed during their first year under the Inflation Reduction Act—and he’s doing it with actual price transparency.

Liberal hypocrisy alert: Biden tried to take credit for capping insulin at $35—Trump had already done it in 2020 through a voluntary program. Now Trump’s back, expanding the savings, and turning Biden’s “mandates” into something that works and saves money.

What’s really happening: Trump is doing what Biden never could—cutting costs without burying taxpayers in red tape. He’s also considering tariffs on pharmaceutical imports to re-shore critical drug production.

Bottom line: Trump is once again doing what both parties said was “too complicated.” He’s lowering prices, expanding access, and sticking it to the industry that bankrolls half of Washington.

Top Hegseth Adviser Escorted from Pentagon Over Leak Probe Tied to Strike Planning

One of Trump’s top national security insiders was just walked out of the Pentagon—and now the deep state is licking its chops.

Dan Caldwell, senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave as part of an explosive investigation into unauthorized leaks tied to Pentagon war planning. The trigger? A Signal group chat used by Trump officials—including Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz—to coordinate strategy ahead of a planned military strike on Houthi militants in Yemen. The chat was reportedly infiltrated after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was somehow added.

Here’s the hard data they won’t highlight: this is part of a larger Trump-era purge of national security leakers. The Pentagon had already begun investigating internal data breaches before this leak went public, and a memo from Hegseth’s chief of staff warned that polygraphs and criminal referrals were coming for anyone caught disclosing classified strategy.

The real-world impact? One of the few trusted America First voices inside the Defense Department may have been compromised—or railroaded. And the media smells blood, not because they care about national security, but because they want Trump’s hawks sidelined before 2026.

What comes next: expect more names to fall. Hegseth’s team is cracking down, and insiders say this isn’t an isolated leak—it’s part of a systemic sabotage effort from holdovers desperate to undermine Trump’s foreign policy reboot.

Read more: Newsmax

Senator's Mission to El Salvador Sparks Controversy
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced plans to travel to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from the U.S. Van Hollen contends that Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported and seeks to meet with Salvadoran officials to discuss his return. The case has drawn attention due to allegations linking Abrego Garcia to MS-13, which he and his family deny. Blaze Media
Trump Administration Freezes $2.2 Billion in Harvard Grants
The Trump administration has halted $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University after the institution declined to implement requested reforms addressing antisemitism and discriminatory practices. The administration also suggested revoking Harvard's tax-exempt status, citing the university's refusal to comply with federal demands for changes in hiring, admissions, and governance policies. New York Post
Judge Blocks Revocation of Legal Status for 530,000 Migrants
A federal judge in Massachusetts has prevented the Trump administration from rescinding legal status for over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who entered the U.S. under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program. The court ruled that terminating their status without individual case reviews undermines the rule of law. New York Post
Poll Shows Continued Support for Trump Policies
A recent Harvard-Harris poll indicates that many of President Trump's policies maintain strong public support. Notably, 74% favor deporting criminal illegal aliens, 70% support closing the border, and 65% back banning men from women's sports. These findings suggest that, despite media criticism, Trump's agenda resonates with a significant portion of the electorate. Breitbart
DOJ Faces Legal Challenge Over Surveillance Gag Orders
Empower Oversight has filed a legal appeal against the Department of Justice, challenging secret surveillance and gag orders imposed on congressional staff. The lawsuit seeks to address concerns over transparency and the potential infringement of constitutional rights due to undisclosed monitoring activities. reclaimthenet.org

"A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation."
—Ronald Reagan

Thanks for reading The Daily Briefing—the only place where the fog lifts and the facts hit. Today’s takeaway? Trump is checking boxes Biden couldn’t even find. From trade and healthcare to immigration and foreign policy, he’s rebuilding a country that was set to be sold for scrap. And the opposition? It’s not just panicking—it’s plotting.

They want their country back.
We’re just getting started taking it from them.

~ Scott 🇺🇸

P.S. Today’s stories hit every nerve: open borders, judicial sabotage, China’s bluff, and drug prices finally getting cut. Which one are you watching most closely? Reply and let me know—I want to feature a few reader takes in Behind the Curtain. Let’s sharpen our knives before tomorrow.

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