Trump Jacks Global Tariffs to 15 Percent – The Monday AM Quickie 2/23/26

By Whitney Curry Wimbish — Feb 23, 2026

Stay safe out there today, especially if you’re among the 40 million folks under blizzard warning this morning. – Whitney

Subscribe to the AM Quickie's NEW paid newsletters here!

THE BIG NEWS

Trump Gives Supreme Court the Bird, Announces 15 Percent Global Tariffs

The Supreme Court found on Friday that the legal basis for Trump’s “emergency” tariffs was totally illegal and unconstitutional, the Financial Times and WSJ reported. A few hours later, Trump held a press conference to rage and ramble incoherently about how everything is very unfair to him, personally, and announced he would impose 10 percent tariffs on the whole world, “over and above our normal tariffs.” On Saturday, he boosted that to 15 percent.

Now international trade is in even more disarray than it was just a few days ago, and the robber barons of Wall Street are demanding reparations, even though consumers are the ones who ultimately paid $130 billion in tariff costs. The National Retail Federation demanded US courts “ensure a seamless process to reimburse the tariffs to US importers. The refunds will serve as an economic boost and allow companies to reinvest in their operations, their employees and their customers.” And the rest of us? Will we get reimbursed? Or will corporate interests just get paid twice – first with our spending money and then with our taxes? STFU PEASANT GET BACK TO WORK. As Slate put it, “once again, we get screwed.”

According to Slate, the Supreme Court’s ruling only nullifies how Trump imposed the tariffs, which he did via the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. But he has other avenues, including one law from 1974, and another from 1930 that allows presidential levies “as high as 50 percent if the government determines foreign countries are ‘discriminating’ against US goods.” None of this will make life more affordable in the United States. But it will make us more isolated! Incidentally, Trump’s approval rating is circling the drain, according to a new poll by The Washington Post published ahead of his state of the union address tomorrow. Sixty percent of Americans say they disapprove of the guy and a majority say they disapprove of how he’s handling priority initiatives and that he’s overreached his authority.

MORE STORIES TO WATCH

OpenAI Flagged Tumbler Ridge Suspect Months Before Massacre, Did Nothing

People at Sam Altman’s child sexual abuse material company were concerned about Jesse Van Rootselaar months before Feb. 10, when she allegedly shot to death eight people at a high school in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, injured at least 25 more, then killed herself, the WSJ reported. The 18-year-old had been describing disturbing scenarios of gun violence while using ChatGPT over several days last June, which the company said it had considered sharing with law enforcement. Per the Journal:

Her posts, flagged by an automated review system, alarmed employees at OpenAI. Internally, about a dozen staffers debated whether to take action on Van Rootselaar’s posts. Some employees interpreted Van Rootselaar’s writings as an indication of potential real-world violence, and urged leaders to alert Canadian law enforcement about her behavior, the people familiar with the matter said.

Sam Altman’s company banned her account but decided that she didn’t merit a referral because she had not indicated a “credible and imminent risk of serious physical harm to others.” Is it credible now, Sam Altman? The evil bozo didn’t say. But his company did offer the following: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy,” which amounts to exactly zero in terms of public safety or anything else.

Mad King May Bomb Iran to Force Nuclear Deal, Wonders Why Leaders Won’t Give Up Already

Trump might conduct “limited military strikes” on Iran to force leaders into signing a deal about their nuclear program, he said Friday, according to The NYT. “I guess I can say I am considering that,” he said. If a few bombs won’t do the trick, “he will consider a much bigger attack in the coming months intended to drive that country’s leaders from power,” the Times reported yesterday. But he has no specific targets, unlike his attacks last June, when he told the military to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities to prevent the country from making a nuclear bomb. Per the Times, the ultimate goal is unclear:

Now, the Pentagon is in the midst of the largest military buildup in the Middle East in two decades, and Mr. Trump is considering a far more expansive operation – this time led by US forces – without saying publicly what he hopes to achieve. Would a campaign once again be focused on Iran’s nuclear sites? Would there be additional strikes to eviscerate Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, which Iran has insisted it would not give up through negotiation?

Or, could Mr. Trump’s goal be something he has often said was dangerous folly: using the military to remove a government in the Middle East from power? A war for regime change could lead to untold civilian deaths in Iran and a wider conflict across the region.

Many unanswered questions. The aimless and increasingly demented Trump himself has some questions, too, the BBC reported, like why haven’t the leaders of a sovereign nation fallen to their knees and given him everything he wants? That’s what his billionaire special envoy Steve Witkoff said is on the big man’s addled brain. “I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated’... because he understands he’s got plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t... I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff said Saturday in an interview with Fox News. “Why, under this sort of pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power that we have over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess that we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do?’” He added, “And yet it’s hard to sort of get them to that place.” Apparently it comes as a shock that other nations don’t want to be colonized. A day later, the Financial Times reported that Iran made a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia “to acquire thousands of advanced shoulder-fired missiles in its most significant effort to rebuild air defenses shattered during last year’s war with Israel.” The two nations signed the agreement in Moscow in December, under which Russia will deliver 500 portable “Verba” launchers and 2,500 “9M336” missiles. “The Verba is one of Russia’s most modern air-defense systems, a shoulder-fired, infrared-guided missile capable of targeting cruise missiles, low-flying aircraft and drones. Operated by small mobile teams, it allows ground forces to quickly create dispersed defenses without relying on fixed radar installations that are more vulnerable to strikes.” According to the AP yesterday, Iran’s top diplomat said he’ll “probably” meet with Witkoff in Geneva on Thursday, and that there’s a “good chance” that they can resolve their issues diplomatically.

QUICKEST QUICKIES

Secret Service Kills North Carolina Man for Entering ‘Secure Perimeter’ of Mar-a-Lago Austin Tucker Martin, 21, was “carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can” when agents killed him early Sunday morning. Authorities said they don’t yet know his motivation. via the AP and the NYT.
Mexico Erupts in Violence After Government Kills Most-Wanted Cartel Boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” was the longtime leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel; cartel members sought revenge for his death by unleashing havoc in at least 13 states. “In the state of Jalisco alone, officials said 20 branches of the state-run bank had been set ablaze or damaged, while groups ignited cars to block more than 20 roads.” Airlines halted or diverted flights, bus operators suspended routes for the week, concerts and soccer matches were cancelled, businesses shuttered, and at least one port stopped operations. via the NYT.
US Ambassador to Israel Supports Israeli Takeover of Entire Middle East Christian Zionist Mike Huckabee said “it would be fine if they took it all” because God gave it to them; more than a dozen governments, including Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, condemned his remarks and called them “dangerous and inflammatory.” via the BBC and The Guardian.
US Taxes Paying for Hospital Boat to Greenland, Where Residents Already Have Free Healthcare “Orla Joelsen, a Greenland activist, posted ‘no thanks’ on social media and said the people of Greenland are ‘healthy and doing well, sustained by our own traditional foods – including seal blubber, which is rich in vitamins and nutrients that have kept our population strong for generations,’ and added that Trump should focus on high healthcare costs in the US.” via The Guardian, NYT and WSJ.

SOME NUMBER

973

That’s how many reported cases of measles are in South Carolina, the largest outbreak in the United States since the virus was eliminated 25 years ago. Since hospitals don’t have to report admissions for measles, as ProPublica reported, no one really knows the true number.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

Breaking Trump’s Cuba Siege | David Adler | TMR

Worth noting that even when Emma asked David Adler directly about the abuse he endured from Israeli officers, he maintained message discipline and kept the conversation focused mainly on the greater cause. Admirable! Compare that to Trump, who takes every opportunity to shift conversations to himself and how aggrieved he is personally.

Dave Rubin DESPERATE To Die On Mars

Be my guest.

PARTING WORDS

“‘I went to the doctor, now my doctor knows I’m pregnant, are they gonna turn me in to the police?’ We get those questions all the time.”

– Dr. April Lockley, a family medicine doctor, abortion provider and medical director of the Miscarriage and Abortion hotline, discussing callers’ fears since the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections in 2022. Speaking with HuffPost, Lockley said many callers want to know, “If I go to the emergency room, will they call the police?”

ON THE SHOW TODAY

2/23: Sam and Emma are in the studio today. Their guest is Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate and co-host of the Amicus podcast.

Quickie Discount Code Corner

Hey check it out! Stuff on sale!

IAC Laser Engraving: Visit https://iaclasers.com and use Coupon Code MAJORITY10 at checkout to save 10% on your order. They have also updated their site recently, so if you’ve visited in the past, you’ll want to visit again and check out the new products.

Fast Growing Trees: This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF their first purchase when using the code MAJORITY at checkout. That’s an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF at https://FastGrowingTrees.com using the code MAJORITY at checkout. https://FastGrowingTrees.com code MAJORITY. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

Earthbreeze: Right now, my listeners can receive 40% off Earth Breeze just by going to https://earthbreeze.com/majority! That's https://earthbreeze.com/majority to cut out single-use plastic in your laundry room and claim forty percent off your subscription.

Blueland Cleaning Products: Blueland has a special offer for listeners. Right now, get 15% off your first order by going to https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY. You won’t want to miss this! https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY for 15% off.

Prolon: Right now, Prolon is offering The Majority Report with Sam Seder listeners 10% off their 5-day nutrition program. Go to https://ProlonLife.com/MAJORITY.

Ritual: Essential for Men is a quality multivitamin from a company you can actually trust. Get 40% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/MAJORITY. This offer is only available through January 31st. Start Ritual or add Essential For Men to your subscription today.

ZBiotics: Go to https://zbiotics.com/MAJORITY to get 15% off your first order when you use MAJORITY at checkout. You can also sign up for a subscription using my code - so you can stay prepared no matter the time or occasion. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Henson Shaving: Henson Shaving is giving my audience a 2-year supply of blades for FREE. Just go to https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY, That’s https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY. Add a razor and 100-pack of blades to your cart, then enter code MAJORITY to get the blades for free.

Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/majority. Go to https://shopify.com/majority now to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

LiquidIV: Revive yourself for the New Year. Grab your Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Sugar-Free in bulk nationwide at Costco or get 20% off your first order when you go to https://liquidiv.com/majorityrep at checkout. That’s 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://liquidiv.com.

Nutrafol: Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code TMR. Find out why over 4,000 healthcare professionals recommend Nutrafol for healthier hair.

Sunset Lake CBD: Sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com.

CozyEarth: IF you’ve never tried Cozy Earth, I've got awesome news! You can SAVE up to 35% off Cozy Earth right now! But hurry... this offer won't last. Go to https://CozyEarth.com and enter mypromo code MAJORITY REPORT at checkout for up to 35% off on your first order! That's https://CozyEarth.com promo code MAJORITY REPORT.