The Morning: ‘Liberation Day’

Plus, election results from Wisconsin and Florida.

View in browser|nytimes.com April 2, 2025 By German Lopez Good morning. Today, we're covering President Trump's tariff plans. But first, we've got election results from Wisconsin and Florida. Susan Crawford  Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Elon Musk's millions weren't enough. Judge Susan Crawford, a liberal candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, overcame more than $25 million in spending by Musk to defeat her conservative opponent, Judge Brad Schimel, last night. Crawford's win maintains the liberal majority on the court, which faces key decisions on abortion and labor rights in the coming months. Elsewhere, two Trump-backed Republicans won special congressional elections in Florida, shoring up the party's slim House majority. In both races, however, Democrats cut into Republican victory margins from November. The elections suggest a once-demoralized Democratic base is animated again. Read takeaways. Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA, via Shutterstock Today's tariffs Today is, in President Trump's telling, "Liberation Day." For decades, many countries have imposed higher trade barriers on the United States than America does on them. In a Rose Garden event, Trump plans to strike back with tariffs that he claims will be "reciprocal" — ones that merely counter the penalties of other nations. The logic is intuitive: Why shouldn't we impose tariffs on countries that have imposed tariffs on us? Europe's tax on U.S. cars, for instance, has been four times as high as America's tax on European vehicles. That doesn't seem fair. Past presidents asked the same question — and came to a different conclusion than Trump did. They saw such tariffs as self-harm. That's because America would lose more in a global trade war than every major economy except Mexico, experts estimate. Source: O.E.C.D. Economic Outlook | By The New York Times Today's newsletter explains how tariffs can hurt the U.S. economy — and why Trump believes they are worth it anyway. Tariffs' harms Consider how America has benefited from freer trade. Yes, it meant cheaper shirts, cars and phones. But it also allowed the country to play to its more profitable strengths. The United States no longer needs factories with low-skill workers to make clothes. It can instead invest more in advanced technologies like computers and pharmaceuticals. Those investments lead to jobs that pay better than traditional manufacturing work, making Americans richer. Open trade then lets high-tech businesses sell their new products to billions of people worldwide instead of just hundreds of millions of Americans. With more customers, these companies make more money, and they can pour their profits into further innovation, well-paying jobs and higher taxes to the U.S. government. In theory, this process leaves the country as a whole better off. Not everyone wins. Some manufacturing jobs go to China, Mexico and elsewhere. Communities that rely on those jobs suffer unless they find a way to adjust to the new economy. But using trade barriers to keep those old jobs is costly: First, it means higher prices. Second, a closed-off United States needs to pay for factories that make clothes, for instance, meaning it can invest less in those newer, better-paying jobs in advanced technology. The economy becomes less efficient and fails to reach its potential. Trump's style also comes with costs. He has imposed and rescinded levies on a whim, making his moves unpredictable. Even now, no one outside the administration knows what Trump's reciprocal tariffs will look like. Markets loathe such unpredictability. Businesses want to know what's coming so they don't waste money investing in the wrong things. They can't do that if materials they depend on can become 25 percent more expensive with little warning. Trump's view Trump and his allies argue that they take a long view. Yes, they say, tariffs lead to chaos in the short term. But they will eventually bring back manufacturing jobs that people in some communities relied on. Yes, they say, consumers and businesses will pay higher prices. But those higher prices are worth the long-term benefits of self-sufficiency and more jobs. Yes, they say, the federal government will have to subsidize businesses that are vulnerable to a trade war (including farms). But tariffs will bring in more revenue than the subsidies cost. And the tariffs may not last long, anyway, if other countries repeal their own trade barriers against America, after which the United States can unwind its reciprocal levies. Most economists disagree with Trump's claims. To the extent that he's right, his goals will require something he has not demonstrated so far: commitment. Businesses will invest in domestic manufacturing only if they think they have no other option because the tariffs will stick. Other nations will withdraw their tariffs only if they think doing so is necessary to regain American customers. Because Trump rescinded some of his previous tariffs after markets recoiled, businesses and other countries have good reason to believe that today's tariff rollout is a feint. They may try to call Trump's bluff. What happens next depends on whether he folds. More on tariffs Auto sales surged last month as buyers rushed to get ahead of Trump's tariffs on imported cars and parts. Looking for the basics on the tariff plan? This article explains what you need to know. THE LATEST NEWS Immigration A state-provided photo from El Salvador.  Secretaria De Prensa De La Presidencia, via Reuters The Trump administration told a court that it had mistakenly deported a legal Maryland resident to El Salvador, but that it could not bring him back. A British Gambian student who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Cornell said that ICE officials had come to his home and revoked his visa, and that he had left the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to scrutinize the social media accounts of student visa applicants to keep out those who criticized the U.S. or Israel. Some conservative voices, including Joe Rogan and Ann Coulter, have expressed concern over the government's immigration tactics. Government Overhaul The Trump administration fired thousands of federal health workers whose jobs include regulating food and researching new treatments for disease. Some federal workers who followed Trump's order to return to the office have faced long security lines and toilet-paper shortages. The U.S. is ending financial support for family-planning programs in developing countries, cutting access to contraception for nearly 50 million women. More on the Administration The Trump administration suspended dozens of federal grants to Princeton. It's the fourth Ivy League school to face such punishment. Months ago, Harvard introduced changes to meet the administration's demands to combat antisemitism. It's at risk of losing funding anyway. Members of Trump's National Security Council have used personal Gmail accounts to handle sensitive government matters, The Washington Post reports. Trump will meet with White House officials today to discuss TikTok's future in the U.S. Congress Senator Cory Booker Eric Lee/The New York Times Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, spoke on the Senate floor for a record 25 hours straight, a marathon session criticizing Trump's policies. Republican House members thwarted an attempt by their speaker, Mike Johnson, to kill a bipartisan measure that would let new parents in Congress vote by proxy. (See how members voted.) Middle East Israel's defense minister said that the military will expand its operation in Gaza and plans to seize large areas. The U.N. accused Israel of killing 15 rescue workers as they tried to aid injured civilians last month. Israel said nine of the 15 were Palestinian militants. The family of a Palestinian man said that Hamas militants tortured and killed him after he took part in anti-Hamas protests, CNN reports. Benjamin Netanyahu withdrew his nominee to lead Israel's domestic intelligence agency, in part because the nominee had criticized Trump. China China recently practiced maneuvers off its southern coast using new, special barges. The vessels form a bridge that could help land weapons and troops on Taiwan. China held military exercises around Taiwan for a second day. More International News The Sky Villa apartment complex was a symbol of success in Mandalay — a city growing rapidly despite a civil war. Myanmar's earthquake, which now has a death toll over 2,700, turned the tower into a tomb. The rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad want to fold Syria's disparate militias into a single force. It's a struggle. As Bangladesh tries to rebuild its democracy, support for Islamist extremism is bubbling to the surface. Other Big Stories Attorney General Pam Bondi directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is charged with killing the C.E.O. of UnitedHealthcare. Pope Francis' health has improved in the week since he left the hospital, the Vatican said. Eleven percent of Americans can't afford medication and medical treatments, a survey found — the highest level in the four years it has asked the question. Opinions Dru Donovan for The New York Times New technology could let parents select taller, smarter, happier embryos. Anna Louie Sussman explores what it would mean to engineer the next generation. Here are columns by Bret Stephens on Gaza's anti-Hamas protests and Thomas Friedman on China's success. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS Tom Schaar in the X Games in 2023. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Big air: Tony Hawk's style of gravity-defying skating, known as "vert," is making a comeback. He's campaigning for it to be in the 2028 Olympics. Cool faucets: These are some of the best bathrooms to appear in T, The Times's style magazine. Letter of Recommendation: The case for telling total strangers to shut up. Most clicked yesterday: America has never been wealthier. But that's not true for everyone. See charts that show the inequality. Lives Lived: Val Kilmer was a homegrown Hollywood actor who tasted leading-man stardom as Jim Morrison and Batman, but his protean gifts and elusive personality also made him a high-profile supporting player in movies like "Top Gun." He died at 65. SPORTS ESPN: Pat McAfee's show amplified a lurid rumor about a college freshman. The young woman at the center of it says the ordeal has destroyed her life. N.F.L.: Team owners agreed to table a vote on the "tush push" play, which has caused strife over the last two years. ARTS AND IDEAS Atop the New York Marriott Marquis. Yuvraj Khanna for The New York Times The revolving restaurant, long regarded as a midcentury novelty, is making an unlikely comeback across America. You can find them now in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. Danny Meyer, a restaurateur, believes the resurgence comes from a post-pandemic desire for experiences diners can't get at home. More on culture The Broadway revival of "Glengarry Glen Ross" boasts some good performances: It stars Kieran Culkin, Bill Burr and Bob Odenkirk. But the production is surprisingly limp, our critic writes. "Yes, 'Liberation Day.' I'm reminded of the immortal words of Patrick Henry: 'Give me liberty or charge me an extra $10,000 for a Hyundai Elantra,'" Stephen Colbert joked. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Mark Weinberg for The New York Times Prep spinach and feta lentil bowls for an easy lunch throughout the week. Use the best slow cooker. Organize a small kitchen. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was echoing … a Monday's pangram of Sunday's pangram? (April Fools!) And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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