Trump's other war also proving unpopular

"Public anger over the economic damage inflicted by the president’s devotion to tariffs, as well as the harm caused by President Trump’s unconstitutional war on Iran, appears to be helping the Democrats regain in the upcoming election control of one or both houses of Congress." 

Trump’s Other War | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

October 5, 2026 - As the midterm election draws near, a number of Republicans in tough races are distancing themselves from President Trump’s war. The war is unpopular because it has inflicted economic pain on the already-suffering American people. No, I am not talking about the Iran War. I am talking about President Trump’s tariff war.

The Tax Foundation estimates that, since he returned to the White House, President Trump has imposed tariffs on about 54 percent of imported goods.

Contrary to the claims of power-hungry politicians and corporatists seeking protection from overseas competitors, the financial burden of tariffs falls on American businesses and consumers, not foreign exporters. Tariffs are a tax on Americans. President Trump’s tariffs have been estimated to impose an over 800 dollars tax on the average American household this year.

Tariff defenders claim tariffs boost domestic industries, thus strengthening the US economy. The truth is, while tariffs may benefit some industries that have major competition from abroad, tariffs harm American businesses, like farms, that rely on exports for a substantial share of revenue. Additionally, countries often respond to increased tariffs on goods exported to the US by raising tariffs on imports from the US. High tariffs also hurt businesses that rely on importing raw materials and parts necessary to make their products.

According to a survey of 4,150 registered voters conducted by the Cato Institute and Morning Consult, 74 percent of Americans view tariffs as a factor in the price increases that continue to bedevil American families, while 53 percent of Americans understand that tariffs weaken the US economy. The survey’s most disheartening result — at least for President Trump and Republicans preparing to face the voters in less than a month — is that 49 percent of Americans say President Trump’s tariffs have made their lives worse.

President Trump launched his tariff war without receiving approval from Congress, even though Article One of the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power 'to lay and collect' taxes. In order to get around the Constitution, President Trump claimed that federal laws giving the president emergency powers give him the authority to impose tariffs and thus increase taxes on the American people.

President Trump’s claim regarding his authority to impose tariffs without authorization from Congress was struck down by the Supreme Court. Then, instead of taking the opportunity the court gave him to end his tariff war, President Trump simply found new justifications to impose tariffs.

One of President Trump’s latest tariff targets is Canada. The Canadian government responded to President Trump’s tariffs by imposing tariffs on US goods. President Trump then responded by forbidding the importation of a long list of Canadian goods. Once again President Trump acted without getting authorization from Congress.

President Trump’s tariffs have raised prices for American consumers, increased production costs for many American businesses that rely on imported materials and goods, and hurt farmers and other export-reliant business.

Public anger over the economic damage inflicted by the president’s devotion to tariffs, as well as the harm caused by President Trump’s unconstitutional war on Iran, appears to be helping the Democrats regain in the upcoming election control of one or both houses of Congress.

The fact that President Trump claims to be for free markets yet is embracing interventionist policies like tariffs is contributing to the rise of Democrats winning races while publicly embracing socialism. Those of us who know the truth must increase our efforts to support the libertarian alternative to both left- and right-wing authoritarianism.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://gdspoliticalanimal.blogspot.com/2026/10/trumps-other-war-also-proving-unpopular.html

Iran war backfires on GOP

 "Congress over too many years has been used to allowing the President to have his own way on matters of war and peace. Members bask in the false patriotism promoted by the media and special interests as the people 'rally around the flag'.... This time is different.”

The Coming GOP Bloodbath? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

September 28, 2026 - Most indicators suggest that the Republicans in the House and Senate are going to face a brutal backlash from the American people in November. Polling with generic ballots suggest a big win for the Democrats and likely the loss of Republican control of both houses of Congress.

There is little reason to cheer a Democratic party victory, however Republicans in charge have for the most part earned what is coming to them. They have refused to uphold their Constitutional obligation to take leading responsibility for war powers....

President Trump launched what is the most unpopular war in US history when on February 28th he ordered a full US assault on Iran. Iran had not attacked or even threatened the United States and our own intelligence community continued – and continues – to claim that Iran is not building nuclear weapons. The February attack followed last June’s US bombing of Iran after which the president claimed that the country’s nuclear program was “completely obliterated.”

Congress over too many years has been used to allowing the President to have his own way on matters of war and peace. Members bask in the false patriotism promoted by the media and special interests as the people “rally around the flag.” Eventually, when the war has gone on for years without “victory” – as in Iraq and Afghanistan – many claim they were never really for the war in the first place.

This time is different. There was no propaganda blitz. There were no attempts to convince the American people that the “smoking gun” could be a “mushroom cloud” as we were told in the run up to the 2003 Iraq war. The majority of Americans were against the war on Iran before it started and only became more opposed over time.

As the war drags on, we have seen the national debt pass $40 trillion, diesel fuel prices at the highest ever, and inflation hitting the middle class and poor even harder. The “cakewalk” again failed to materialize.

Incumbent Republicans seeking re-election are in such a panic over voter anger about the war that they have taken to calling for a quick end to it while on the campaign trail. When they get back inside the Beltway, however, they vote to keep the war going for fear of President Trump’s anger. This is not leadership.

Late last week the Iranian delegation in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting offered an off-ramp. Essentially it was the same Memorandum of Understanding that President Trump signed last June and promptly disregarded, but on a shorter timeline. By Sunday, the President announced that he would reject the deal – a deal like one he already signed.

There is no strategy for winning this disastrous war, it is clear. From over-confidence on decapitation strikes to certainty of a quick military victory, the Administration is now promising that they will win by crippling Iran’s economy. The problem is that Iran has been operating under “crippling” sanctions for decades and has a high economic pain tolerance.

Unfortunately, both parties in DC are war parties, so again it is hard to cheer the likely Republican losses. But sometimes electoral losses can serve as wake-up calls. Eventually we may see the re-emergence of antiwar Republicans in the spirit of the late Sen. Robert Taft and a restoration of the Constitution.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/the-coming-gop-bloodbath/

President Trump's $5,000 bribe

 "Some commentators have expressed outrage over President Trump’s attempt to bribe voters. These commentators have tended to ignore the fact that, since the rise of the welfare-warfare-regulatory state, most political campaigns are little more than legalized bribery."

President Trump Bribes the People | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

September 21, 2026 - President Trump, speaking at the Republicans’ midterm convention, pledged that if Republicans maintained control of the Congress in the November election every adult American will receive 5,000 dollars from the government.... Trump said that the government could afford the estimated 1.3 trillion dollars cost 'because we’ve done so well and because our country is making so much money.'

The truth is the economy is not doing well. Prices are rising faster than incomes. And, thanks to the Iran War, the price of diesel fuel has reached an average of over six dollars a gallon. This increases shipping costs, thus further increasing many prices. The national debt now exceeds 40 trillion dollars, which is one reason why interest on Treasury bonds is at the highest level since 2007.

President Trump claims the 5,000 dollars payments can be financed with tariff revenue. The truth is that the government has not collected nearly enough tariff revenue to finance these payments.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has suggested the government could raise the funds through actions including selling its shares in the tech company Intel. Selling those shares would only raise at most four percent of the cost of the payments. Nonetheless, the federal government should sell all the shares it has acquired in private companies. This corporatist policy distorts the market by incentivizing businesses to put pleasing politicians and bureaucrats ahead of pleasing consumers.

Some commentators have expressed outrage over President Trump’s attempt to bribe voters. These commentators have tended to ignore the fact that, since the rise of the welfare-warfare-regulatory state, most political campaigns are little more than legalized bribery. How else would you describe politicians who court support from the military-industrial complex with promise to deliver endless wars financed by ever-increasing Pentagon spending? Or court votes of farmers with promises of ever-increasing farm subsidies? Or court votes of senior citizens with promises concerning Social Security and Medicare? Or promise to those whose standard of living and prospect for economic advancement are harmed by the Federal Reserve’s destruction of the dollar that government will take care of them with food stamps, Medicaid, and government-subsidized housing?

This system of legalized bribery makes it impossible to make real spending cuts because every item in the federal budget has a constituency behind it. Politicians are convinced that their electoral success depends on them protecting this spending.

This system of legalized bribery cannot last much longer. The continued failure of Congress and presidents to cut spending will further efforts to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. This will cause a major economic crisis that will force Congress to cut spending.

President Trump could avoid this fate by fulfilling his promise of no new wars and working with Congress to cut the bloated military budget. President Trump should also end all forms of corporate welfare and work with Congress to shut down all unconstitutional federal agencies. The savings from these cuts should be used to start paying down the debt and support those reliant on government programs during the transition away from the welfare state. Returning to local communities, private organizations, and churches the responsibility to help the less fortunate is more effective and compassionate than leaving the matter to government bureaucracies. Following this agenda would allow President Trump to “bribe” the people with peace, prosperity, and liberty.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/president-trump-bribes-the-people/

Trump's corporatism

"Supporters of the free market must be as outspoken in opposition to Republican corporatism as they are in opposition to Democratic socialism."

Corporatism Goes Global | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

September 8, 2026 - Last Monday, a day before the Republican-controlled House passed a resolution condemning socialism, the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital announced that it had acquired a 35 percent stake in North American Blue Energy Partners, one of Venezuela’s largest private oil producers.

In the deal, the Venezuela government gives the company a hundred years lease for some oil fields. The deal also provides the US government with veto power over appointments to the company’s board of directors. Having power over appointments to the board gives the US government control over the company.

This deal makes the US partners with the same Venezuelan government whose president, Nicolás Maduro, was removed by the US military in January. It is also the same government that has been denounced as socialist by US politicians of both parties and that has been the target of US inspired regime change operations since the late Hugo Chávez assumed the presidency in 1999. One of those failed regime change efforts took place during President Trump’s first term.

Some may find it ironic that the Trump administration is partnering with a socialist government when President Trump regularly warns about the threat of socialism arising from the increasingly influential socialist wing of the Democratic Party. While President Trump may sincerely oppose some socialism, he is an avid promoter of corporatism. Corporatism is a socialism variant where businesses are nominally private but are controlled by the government.

Since President Trump returned to power in 2025, the US government has “invested” in over 30 private companies. Government investment in private businesses distorts the market as it forces business owners and managers to make decisions (or have decisions made for them) based on what will please politicians and bureaucrats rather than consumers. It also encourages other businesses to divert resources toward attracting government investment instead of attracting consumers and private sector investors. Corporatism can also lead politicians and bureaucrats to base decisions on what will generate the greatest return on government’s investments.

Combining corporatism with foreign interventionism is a particularly harmful policy. This is illustrated by the US government’s new partnership with the Venezuelan government. Many Venezuelan citizens oppose the deal. If the current government were to be replaced, the new government may try to void the agreement or at least renegotiate it. So, the US government now has an interest in ensuring Hugo Chavez’s heirs remain in power. The next time the US military intervenes in Venezuela it could be to defend the socialists.

If the US government continues to make investment deals with foreign governments, the need to protect the investments could become a reason for deployment of US troops abroad. The US government could even use the military to “convince” other countries to do business with the US government.

President Trump’s corporatist merger of big government and big business enriches the well-off and well-connected at the expense of the rest of the population. Combining corporatism with foreign interventionism enriches corrupt and authoritarian foreign leaders while boosting the military-industrial complex. Because corporatism maintains the appearance of capitalism, and because many proponents of corporatism encourage this confusion, it is easy for socialists to blame corporatism’s failings on the free market. Supporters of the free market must be as outspoken in opposition to Republican corporatism as they are in opposition to Democratic socialism.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/corporatism-goes-global/

Canada, USA at war, says Carney

‘You’re at war when you get attacked’: Mark Carney shows combative nature in face-off with Trump | Leyland Cecco, Heather Stewart, & Kalyeena Makortoff | The Guardian: 

August 30, 2026 - "Mark Carney stood before a walnut-veneered lectern, his face drawn tight, as he announced that talks with Canada’s biggest trading partner had collapsed. 'Last spring, I warned that America is trying to break us so that they can own us,' he said. “And I promised: that will never, ever happen. We are keeping that promise'.... Near the end of the press conference last Saturday, a reporter made reference to the sombre, combative tone of the speech: 'Why does it feel like today Mark Carney is going to war?'

"The prime minister paused. 'We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked,' he said. 'We got attacked'....

"After trade negotiations with the US broke down, the two sides traded recriminations and made good on threats to impose new tariffs on each other. In his latest act of petty antagonism, Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the US federal government to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'. But Carney, in walking away from the proposed deal, did what few other leaders have done: dared Trump and the US to test his nation’s resolve....

"Joseph Steinberg, a professor of economics at the University of Toronto, said that while during the Brexit debate, Carney 'did not shy away from trying to tell kind of the hard economic truths', he had not spoken much about the economics of the current US trade war.... Carney’s decision to retaliate against the US has caused some economists, including Steinberg, to point out that Canada will take a far more painful blow than the US.... 'At the moment, Canadians are likely to be extraordinarily intolerant of making any kind of concessions to the US whatsoever, even if they are in our economic best interest,' he said.

"In January, Carney warned people at [the World Economic Forum in] Davos that 'compliance will not buy safety' in a world increasingly dominated by hegemonic powers. While it never mentioned Trump, his speech was seen as a thinly veiled critique of the US president.... One of Carney’s prescriptions – forging deep relations with like-minded 'middle powers' and restructuring to lessen reliance on former allies – has already taken shape in Canada, at a speed and degree to which the pollster David Coletto described as a 'wartime-footing government without a war'. 'It’s a government organised around an external threat that’s willing to suspend its own party’s orthodoxies, centralise power to move fast, and measure itself in outcomes rather than values,' he wrote.

"Carney abandoned many of the policies of his predecessor Justin Trudeau, including his carbon and electric vehicle mandates. He has also fast-tracked large projects, including an oil pipeline, and invested tens of billions more into defence.... 

"'The public has hardly blinked,' Coletto said in an interview. 'Mark Carney’s approval rating has just sustained itself through this entire period.... I’ve been surprised with his nuanced read of the country. He’s been adept at being not just politically effective but in holding his support together through a trying time. This suggests there’s little value in underestimating his political instincts.'

"Polling shows that Carney remains the leader Canadians trust most to steer the country through economic uncertainty. But the prime minister has also embraced a role that would once have seemed almost incongruous: asking a country vastly smaller and less powerful than its neighbour to stand its ground."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/aug/30/youre-at-war-when-you-get-attacked-mark-carney-shows-combative-nature-in-face-off-with-trump

Canada turns to Europe amid escalating Trump trade war | Roundtable | TRT | September 8, 2026:

Canadian LIbertarians turn up the volume

Turning up the Volume on Freedom: Our First 30 Days

 by Derek Elliott, Leader, Libertarian Party of Canada

Friends, in just thirty days, we completely shattered expectations and built historic momentum for Canadian freedom.

It has been nearly a month since Michael Harris and I officially took the reins as Leader and Deputy Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada. And let me tell you, the energy we are seeing right now is something this party hasn't experienced in a very long time.

For years, critics have claimed that libertarians just can't get on the same page. They thought we were too independent to pull in the same direction. Well, we just wrapped up our very first board meeting, and we proved them completely wrong. Under this new leadership, the entire board didn't just find common ground… we agreed on every single item unanimously. No gridlock, no endless debates, just total alignment on our mission to bring real choice back to Canadians.

That single, productive meeting set the stage for major action. In less than a month, we have officially established our party's very first youth wing, LYNX. This is a massive milestone. We are finally building a solid foundation for the future, engaging young people across the country, and giving them a real voice to stand up for personal liberty and economic freedom.

That alone would be reason to celebrate, but to top off an incredible first month, I travelled down to represent our party at the US Libertarian National Convention. Speaking in front of those people and being part of that massive crowd was an incredible honour. It gave us a fantastic platform to strengthen our international ties, share our vision for a free Canada, and bring a wave of fresh energy back home with us.

What we have accomplished in thirty days is just a small taste of what is coming. We are moving this party forward, we are turning up the volume on liberty, and we are showing Canadians that there is a professional, focused, and united alternative ready to stand up for them.

The momentum is on our side, but we need your help to keep it rolling. Drop a comment below to let us know what you think, smash that like button, and subscribe so you don't miss a single update. Share this video with a friend who is tired of the status quo, and let's get to work.

U.S. government kllls the Spirit

 Government Kills the Spirit | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

May 4, 2026: "One of the industries hardest hit by the spike in fuel prices caused by the Iran War is airlines. Jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the war. Airlines have reacted to the fuel price increase by raising fares and baggage fees, as well as by cutting routes. 

"Raising prices is not a good option for 'budget' airlines since their main appeal to consumers is their low prices. Increasing prices could cause these carriers to lose business. The financial strain from the increased fuel costs led discount airline Spirit to ask the Trump administration for a bailout. President Trump said a bailout would be conditioned on Spirit giving the government an ownership stake in the company. Spirit was unable to reach a deal with the government, so Spirit went out of business on Saturday. However, several other budget airlines are seeking a government bailout.

"Spirit has been struggling for years. In 2022, the airline sought to get on better financial footing by merging with fellow discount airline JetBlue. The merger may have allowed for more effective competition with the dominant carriers. However, the Justice Department successfully opposed the merger in court on the grounds it would lead to more concentration in the discount airlines market. This is one of many examples of how an aggressive approach to antitrust enforcement can harm businesses and consumers.

"Spirit is not the first business President Trump has considered having the government 'invest' in. For example, in exchange for government approval of Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel, the government was given a 'golden share' allowing the government to overrule decisions made by the company that the government determines are against US 'national security.' Among the other companies the government has obtained an ownership interest in are several minerals mining companies and computer chip manufacturer Intel. If discount airlines receive bailouts in exchange for granting government ownership stakes in their businesses, other companies impacted by the spike in fuel prices may line up for the same deal.

"Having government own part of what is a nominally private company interferes with the efficient allocation of capital. It also means business decisions will be made to please government officials and bureaucrats instead of to meet the needs and wants of consumers. Government officials will also act based on what will boost returns in the government’s investments.

"Government ownership of all or part of private businesses is the epitome of economic fascism. Yet, there have not been protests from the so-called 'anti-fascist' progressives over President Trump arranging US government ownership stakes in private companies. This is probably because they are looking forward to a Democrat president expanding government’s investment in, and control of, private businesses.

"There has been little criticism of President Trump’s acquisition of ownership interests in private companies from Republican politicians or conservative writers and activists. Many of them, though, would have opposed President Obama or President Biden tooth and nail if either had the US government take an ownership interest in private companies.

"Contrary to what many seem to think, full or partial government ownership of private companies does not magically become less of a threat to liberty and prosperity when done by a Republican. Congress should pass a law forbidding any part of the federal government — including the Federal Reserve — from taking an ownership interest in any private business."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/government-kills-the-spirit/