President Trump announced Thursday via Truth Social that the United States will give the European Union until July 4 to reach terms on trade or face significantly higher tariffs, according to reporting by The Hill. Trump described a prior call with European Commission leadership as 'great,' suggesting negotiation channels remain open — for now.
The date chosen is not accidental. July 4 is the republic's founding compact made visible — a reminder that American sovereignty, including sovereignty over its own commerce, was bought at a price no Brussels bureaucrat was present to pay.
The Founders vested the power to regulate foreign commerce squarely in Congress under Article I — a power too long delegated away to executive agencies and trade tribunals. Whatever one thinks of the leverage strategy, the underlying demand — that foreign markets treat American workers as equals, not marks — is the older and harder right.