The US President Donald Trump has launched a massive economic and administrative offensive that is reordering global supply chains and restructuring the White House's communications strategy. Within hours, Washington has introduced unprecedented 100 percent duties on imports of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), officially accused over 40 countries in a large-scale fraud to circumvent US taxes in favor of China and began an urgent search for new White House Press Secretary following the sudden resignation of Caroline Leavitt.
1. The blow against unmanned technologies: Up to 100% tariffs on drones
President Donald Trump signed an official proclamation imposing drastic protective tariffs on imports of foreign drones and their components, reported Deutsche Welle (DW.com/ru). The measure is justified by severe cybersecurity vulnerabilities and the US military's critical dependence on external suppliers dominated by China.
The new tariff structure provides for the following levels of taxation:
- 100% duty: Imposed on UAVs with a maximum take-off weight of over 25 kg, drones with integrated thermal cameras, docking stations and key high-tech components.
- 25% duty: For smaller commercial and consumer drones (under 25 kg) that do not pose a direct risk to national security.
- Preferences for allies: A special rate of 15% is introduced for the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Liechtenstein, and 10% for the United Kingdom. These reliefs only apply if the software and hardware are entirely manufactured in the respective country or the United States.
According to an investigation by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the new rules will come into effect in exactly 21 days, with a grace period of 180 days for less sensitive components.
2. “The Great Turning Point Affair“: The White House has accused over 40 countries
At the same time as the customs order, the Trump administration released a confidential report titled “The Great Cargo Transshipment Scam“. In it, the White House openly accuses over 40 countries and territories of knowingly helping China circumvent US sanctions and tariffs, the agency reported. data-processed="true" data-sfc-cp="" data-sfc-root="ep" jsaction="" jscontroller="tP2kf#s32ZS" jsuid="jfkjr_1k">TASS (TASS.ru) through the international portal Vesti.az.
According to the White House economic advisers, the scheme damages the US treasury with amounts between 34.2 billion and 89.6 billion dollars per year (with an average estimate of about 60 billion dollars). The manipulations are carried out by two main methods:
- Logistics: Rerouting finished Chinese containers through ports in countries with low US tariffs.
- Production: Minimal repackaging, cosmetic assembly, or false relabeling of goods in third countries to fictitiously change their origin.
Among those on the blacklist are both small offshore zones with weak customs control and key trading partners of Washington such as Canada, Mexico, and Japan.
3. Politico revealed Caroline Leavitt's potential successors
Amid the economic war, the White House is also facing personnel changes. The previous press secretary – 28-year-old Caroline Leavitt, announced that she is leaving her post at the end of August 2026 to devote herself to her two young children. Trump personally confirmed the news on the Truth Social platform, calling her “one of the best press secretaries in history“.
The influential political publication Politico (Politico.com) published a list of possible contenders for the hottest seat in Washington. Due to the tightening of the administration's media policy (in February, the White House revoked the Correspondents' Association's right to organize a press pool), the new spokesman will have to possess exceptional loyalty and a tough approach to critical journalists.
The main favorites according to sources of Politico:
- Famous Trump campaign figures and media consultants for the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.
- Experienced commentators from conservative television networks capable of defending the president's aggressive trade policies.
Trump is expected to officially announce the name of his sixth press secretary within the next two weeks.