Trump’s Trade Plan Targets Remote, Pristine Islands Populated By Penguins

Trump’s sweeping new tariff plan includes uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, according to USA Today. CNN's Jake Tapper questioned Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins regarding the rationale behind imposing tariffs on the islands, which are inhabited only by penguins and have no imports or exports. Rollins defended the tariffs by saying the U.S. has long ceded economic priority to other nations and framed the policy as patriotic and intentional, dismissing criticism with "whatever." The islands lie between Australia, South Africa, and Antarctica and are protected by their pristine ecosystems.