Videos

Trump’s Trade Letters and the August 1st Deadline

Jul 31, 2025

In this wide-ranging conversation, Capitol Forum Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Beth Baltzan — former Counselor to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai — and Capitol Forum Trade Correspondent Neil Tracey to unpack the latest wave of Trump tariff threats.

We cover:

  • Why Trump is targeting an unusual mix of countries
  • How rare earths give China lasting leverage
  • Whether USMCA will actually be exempted
  • The growing influence of Big Tech on trade policy
  • Section 301 vs. Section 232: What tools Trump is using — and why
  • How global trust in the U.S. rule of law is eroding
  • What’s missing from a purely tariff-based industrial strategy
  • Why the global trading order may never be the same