Trump Threatens 50% Tariffs on EU Goods, Warns Apple of 25% iPhone Import Tax.
Trump fan base diminishing significantly
The Omaha mayoral race was a significant no-confidence vote in Trump, as Democrat John Ewing Jr. defeated three-term Republican incumbent Jean Stothert in a city where GOP ties to Trump were central to the campaign.
Ewing’s victory, by a double-digit margin, reflected local backlash against Trump-aligned politics and messaging, signaling broader discontent with the former president’s influence—even in traditionally conservative regions. National observers view this upset as a warning for Republicans, suggesting that Trump’s brand may be losing appeal in key urban areas ahead of the 2026 midterms
On any given day in 2025, American markets wake to a fresh jolt of uncertainty. Today, it was President Trump threatening Apple with a 25% tariff unless it manufactures iPhones in the United States, and warning the European Union of a 50% tariff on all its goods.
These pronouncements, delivered via social media, sent shockwaves through global stock indices and wiped billions from Apple’s market cap. But the deeper problem isn’t just the threat of tariffs—it’s the pervasive sense that U.S. economic policy is being dictated by personal vendettas and self-enrichment rather than coherent strategy.
The Fantasy of “Reshoring” iPhone Assembly
Andrew Ng is a British-American computer scientist, AI pioneer, and entrepreneur. He co-founded Coursera, led Google Brain, was Baidu’s Chief Scientist, and teaches at Stanford University. Andrew Ng states “it would take years to develop the talent base to make iPhones in USA” Trump typically never consults with experts in manufacturing, business or science prior to making his knee jerk decisions such as placing tariffs on countries or companies
Trump’s demand that Apple bring iPhone manufacturing home is not just economically reckless—it’s technologically ignorant. As AI pioneer Andrew Ng explained on Bloomberg, the U.S. simply does not have the workforce required for advanced electronics assembly. Modern smartphone manufacturing is not a matter of “sitting on an assembly line.” It requires highly skilled engineers, programmers, and robotics experts—talent pools that have taken decades to build in Asia and are virtually nonexistent in the U.S. today. “Developing advanced manufacturing in the U.S. will take years,” Ng warned, suggesting America would need to lean on allies like Taiwan and Japan for the foreseeable future.
The fantasy that tariffs will magically create high-tech assembly jobs in America is a distraction from the real challenge: the urgent need to reskill American workers for the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past. Yet, instead of investing in workforce development, the administration is busy launching new financial products to profit from the chaos it creates.
Self-Dealing in Full View: Trump’s ETFs and Meme Coins
Trump Media’s announcement of new ETFs—focused on sectors Trump can directly influence, like energy, crypto, and domestic manufacturing—takes self-dealing to a new level.
These funds are explicitly marketed as vehicles to benefit from Trump’s own policies, with the company seeding them with up to $250 million and leveraging the president’s daily media presence as a marketing tool. Ethics experts are aghast: “These transactions fly in the face of government ethics standards,” said NYU’s Michael Posner.
Meanwhile, the spectacle of last night’s meme coin dinner at Trump’s golf club—where the highest bidders for his $TRUMP coin paid millions for access to the president—lays bare the monetization of the presidency.
Many attendees left disappointed, some realizing they’d spent fortunes for little more than a photo op and a lackluster speech. Critics, including former White House ethics lawyers, are calling it “the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the White House”.
Foreign Deals and Conflicts of Interest
The self-dealing extends far beyond American borders. The Trump Organization is rapidly expanding luxury projects in the Middle East, including new golf resorts in Qatar and a proposed Trump Tower in war-torn Damascus—ventures tied to foreign governments and sovereign wealth funds.
These deals raise profound concerns about whether U.S. foreign policy is being shaped to enrich the president and his family, rather than to serve national interests.
Why Gold and Silver Shine in the Gutter
In this climate of chaos, corruption, and institutional decay, it’s no wonder that gold and silver are surging. Traditionally, precious metals thrive in times of turmoil, when trust in fiat currency and mainstream financial instruments erodes. Some once speculated that Trump would bring back the gold standard, but the reality is more cynical: the mere perception of grift and instability is even better for gold and silver than any formal policy shift. As investors lose confidence in the integrity of American institutions, they flock to hard assets—betting on the enduring value of something that can’t be manipulated by executive fiat.
Conclusion
The American marketplace is being battered not just by tariffs and trade wars, but by a crisis of confidence rooted in self-dealing at the highest levels. When the executive branch is for sale—whether through meme coins, luxury resorts, or policy-driven ETFs—no one should be surprised that investors seek refuge in gold and silver. In the end, the greatest threat to American prosperity isn’t foreign competition or technological change. It’s the corrosion of trust from within.
end of segment
Silver academy endorses three miners for:
1. Being in production
2. Ore grade
3. Metallurgy
4. Volume of ounces underground
5. Management talent
6. Exposure to silver (vs base metals for instance)
All three of the companies endorsed by Silver Academy are incredibly under-valued
While silver has surged from $19 to over $33 per ounce—a gain of more than 70%—the SILJ ETF, which tracks junior silver miners, has moved up only modestly, hovering between $11 and $13 in recent months. This highlights how Silver miners have lagged significantly behind the underlying metal’s rally. But this won’t always be the case. In fact the longer the pause (the more explosive these 3 miners will move)
Sector sentiment in silver is crowded out because mainstream financial media like Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal rarely cover silver, focusing instead on trendier sectors and larger companies, which limits broader investor awareness and enthusiasm for silver investments
Our three endorsements are as follows (and how they have performed the past 5 days) This run hasn’t even begun (but it will be quite spectacular)
Andean Precious Metals
OTC: ANPMF | TSE: APM
Aya Gold and Silver
OTCQX: AYASF | TSE: AYA
Kuya Silver Corp
OTCQB: KUYAF | TSE: KUYA
this post written by Silver academy intern Carmine Lombardi
Jon Little is on an academic sabbatical for around 3 weeks
keep stacking silver and gold as the fiat overlords are losing their grip
not financial advice
editorial separate from promotions
our opinions are not our sponsors opinions