Donald Trump has a new tactic to bring the socialist, anti-American Venezuelan government to heel: secondary tariffs.
Simply put, Trump plans to multiply the number of countries pressuring Venezuela to make a deal with the U.S. by imposing tariffs on trade with countries that buy oil from Venezuela. The president evidently hopes to shrink Venezuela’s oil trade, force the country to accept back its dangerous criminals who entered America illegally, and anger other countries into criticizing Venezuela’s stubbornness with one blow.
Trump announced the move on Truth Social Monday, declaring that “the United States of America will be putting what is known as a Secondary Tariff on the Country of Venezuela, for numerous reasons, including the fact that Venezuela has purposefully and deceitfully sent to the United States, undercover, tens of thousands of high level, and other, criminals, many of whom are murderers and people of a very violent nature.”
The most infamous of those Venezuelan criminals belong to one gang: “Among the gangs they sent to the United States, is Tren de Aragua, which has been given the designation of ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization.’ We are in the process of returning them to Venezuela — It is a big task!” Trump wrote in his usual conversational style.
“In addition, Venezuela has been very hostile to the United States and the Freedoms which we espouse,” Trump accused. “Therefore, any Country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25% to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country. All documentation will be signed and registered, and the Tariff will take place on April 2nd, 2025, LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA.”
President Donald J. Trump announced today that the United States of America will be putting what is known as a Secondary Tariff on the Country of Venezuela, for numerous reasons, including the fact that Venezuela has purposefully and deceitfully sent to the United States,…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) March 24, 2025
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And We the People heard this news at about the same time as most of the government, Trump clarified. Imagine a president believing that voters should know as soon as he makes a significant decision!
“Please let this notification serve to represent that the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and all other Law Enforcement Agencies within our Country have been so notified. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump ended.
The announcement comes as new polling from ScriptLabs and Breitbart show that the overwhelming majority of Americans support Trump playing hardball for America First with socialist Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Breitbart noted that Maduro’s refusal to take back many Tren de Aragua criminals and El Salvador's act of subsequently imprisoning them instead was a “massive blow to Madur[o]’s political standing at home.” And his popularity is likely about to tank again with the new tariffs. What a change from the America Last policies of the weak and feckless Biden administration!
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