During a Friday rally in Mobile, Alabama, former president Donald trump reiterated a trade ultimatum he first voiced on Wednesday from the Oval Office. He claimed South Korea had agreed to fund a $54 bn natural-gas pipeline in Alaska as part of a 2025 arrangement that would lower U.S. tariffs on Korean imports. When a Korean official later clarified on Thursday that the country had only agreed to “initiate a review,” Trump responded, “No, I didn’t jump the gun.” and warned he would double the tariffs if the deal was not signed promptly.
Trump doubles down on tariffs over disputed South Korean pipeline deal
At the White House ceremony, Trump announced the pipeline project as a win for his administration, insisting the Korean investment was the “pay-off” for a tariff-reduction bargain struck the previous year. He later asked reporters, “They said they didn’t sign it? Tell them if they don’t sign shortly, I’m going to double it up, okay?” The president’s threat implied that the United States could raise the tariff rate on Korean goods to pressure a commitment.
Legal experts reminded the audience that tariffs are paid by U.S. importers not by foreign governments, a principle affirmed by the U.S. Supreme court when it struck down several of Trump’s earlier duties as an unlawful tax on American consumers. The current threat therefore places the cost on U.S. businesses and shoppers, not directly on Seoul.
While Trump rallied supporters with the line “the most successful presidency in history,” critics noted the country’s ongoing war with Iran and persistent inflation. In the same speech he bragged that his White House helipad was “getting all sorts of awards” and praised a massive crane being installed in a new ballroom as “pretty cool.”
Democrats introduce National Archives Protection Act to keep records open
Across the aisle, Senate Democrats moved to safeguard federal records threatened by the administration. Senator Adam Schiff alongside Alex Padilla (California), Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin (Illinois), unveiled the National Archives Protection Act. The bill would block the closure of archival facilities in California’s San Francisco Bay area and in Illinois, preserving documents such as the original rulings from United States v. Wong Kim Ark a landmark case affirming birthright citizenship.
Schiff warned that “the administration is threatening access to historical and irreplaceable records,” urging Congress to use its oversight authority to protect “decades of regional and national history.” The legislation reflects mounting concern that the current administration might shutter sites holding photographs, family heirlooms, and other primary sources.
Courts block border wall progress and scrutinize Trump’s ad spending
Legal setbacks continued on Friday when U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone halted construction of a “smart wall” at the mouth of Big Bend National Park in Texas. The injunction pauses the project until a pending lawsuit is resolved, preserving the desert ecosystem of Santa Elena Canyon for now.
In a separate controversy, a report revealed that Trump directed $20 million of taxpayer money—originally earmarked for Customs and Border Protection—into a series of television ads celebrating his administration ahead of the midterms. The funds were re-classified under a budget line titled “One Big Beautiful Bill Commemorative Events,” a move critics labeled illegal government propaganda.
At the Alabama rally, the former president also named several Republican allies, including Senator Katie Britt and the far-right commentator Laura Loomer praising them for their loyalty. A video from a September 29 2026 Senate hearing showed Britt’s startled expression as colleague Eric Schmitt failed to tarnish former special counsel Jack Smith.
Meanwhile, Senator Tommy Tuberville used the platform to urge Alabamians to vote in the upcoming midterms, noting the state’s recent influx of 30,000 new residents in 2025. He warned newcomers not to bring “down politics” with them, echoing the rally’s broader theme of defending a perceived era of unprecedented prosperity.
