April 5, 2025

Tik Tok Deal Falls Apart Over Tariffs? Senate Framework Fight, Russia Tries Ref Role between U.S. Iran

• TikTok sale deal was ready for Trump's signature before his Chinese tariff announcement caused ByteDance to back out
• Potential buyers included major corporations like Oracle and Amazon, plus surprise bidders like OnlyFans' founder
• Trump announced a 75-day extension beyond Saturday's deadline, claiming "tariffs are the most powerful economic tool"
• Senate Republicans passed Trump's budget framework at 2:30am with a 51-48 vote
• The plan raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion and makes Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent using controversial accounting methods
• Russia called Trump's threats to bomb Iran "illegal and unacceptable" in a rare diplomatic rebuke
• Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity, just short of weapons-grade levels
• Experts warn Iran could develop nuclear weapons within weeks if they take final steps

The political chessboard is getting more complex by the day as President Trump makes significant moves across multiple policy fronts simultaneously. Our latest episode unpacks three major developments that showcase the administration's multifaceted approach to domestic and international challenges.

We dive deep into the TikTok saga's stunning plot twist: a sale agreement that was reportedly finalized and ready for Trump's signature before his sweeping tariff announcement sent ByteDance representatives running for the exits. The buyer pool was surprisingly diverse, with serious interest from tech giants like Oracle and Amazon alongside unexpected contenders including the founder of OnlyFans. With 170 million American users hanging in the balance, Trump has now granted a 75-day extension while claiming "tariffs are the most powerful economic tool" – a classic negotiating tactic that's reshaping multiple fronts at once.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans worked through the night to pass Trump's ambitious budget framework at 2:30am Saturday morning. The plan would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion and make the 2017 tax cuts permanent using a controversial accounting method that scores the extensions at $0 cost to the deficit. Even some Republicans are questioning this approach, with Senator Bill Cassidy calling it a "dangerous precedent." The reconciliation process effectively sidelines Democrats from the process, but House conservatives may still pose a challenge with their concerns about deficit spending.

On the global stage, Russia has entered the diplomatic fray by strongly condemning Trump's threats to bomb Iran as "illegal and unacceptable." This comes as Tehran continues enriching uranium to 60% purity – dangerously close to weapons-grade levels – with experts warning they could develop nuclear weapons within weeks if final steps are taken. Former intelligence officers suggest Putin may be angling to serve as a broker between Washington and Tehran, adding another layer to an already complex geopolitical chess match with enormous stakes.

Ready to navigate these political currents with clarity and common sense? Subscribe now to Ranting Politics Headline Updates wherever you get your podcasts, and j

Send us a text

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ranting-politics/id1677427078
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rFqmUhX6ReG2s2DX824Rk?si=b450dbea7a5a4dce
X/Twitter: @rantingRP
YouTube: @RantingPolitics
Website: www.RantingPolitics.com

This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. All information should be verified and treated as an opinion.
FAIR USE NOTICE:
This show may use copyrighted material that is made available for commentary and educational purposes only. This constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. Section 106A-117 of the US copyright law.

00:00 - Introduction to Daily Headlines

00:56 - TikTok Sale Derailed by Tariffs

03:44 - Senate Republicans Pass Budget Framework

06:51 - Russia Condemns Trump's Iran Threats

09:30 - Recap and Show Closing

WEBVTT

00:00:01.685 --> 00:00:12.323
Hello America, joc here with your Ranting Politics headline updates, where we are diving into today's most explosive political stories that matter Coming up.

00:00:12.323 --> 00:00:23.387
We're diving into three huge developments you need to know about First, a TikTok sale deal that was apparently in the bag before Trump's tariff bombshell threw everything into chaos.

00:00:23.387 --> 00:00:31.751
Then we'll unpack the Senate Republicans' late-night budget marathon that just passed Trump's fiscal framework after a grueling voterama.

00:00:31.751 --> 00:00:37.033
And finally, russia calling Trump's Iran bombing threats illegal and unacceptable.

00:00:37.033 --> 00:00:39.527
Diplomatic speak for pump the brakes.

00:00:39.527 --> 00:00:41.587
If you're just tuning in for the first time.

00:00:41.587 --> 00:00:48.331
Welcome to America's fastest-growing daily news rundown, designed specifically for your commute run or coffee time.

00:00:48.331 --> 00:00:53.292
Stick around for all this and more in your daily dose of unfiltered news and common-sense commentary.

00:00:53.292 --> 00:00:56.101
This is Ranting Politics Headline Updates.

00:00:56.101 --> 00:01:15.897
Well, folks talk about a plot twist in the TikTok saga.

00:01:16.661 --> 00:01:30.611
According to reporting from the New York Post, president Trump's plan to secure a US buyer for the Chinese-owned social media giant was actually finalized earlier this week, right before his sweeping tariff announcement blew the whole deal to smithereens.

00:01:30.611 --> 00:01:42.808
By Wednesday, white House officials had supposedly worked out all the details for Trump to sign an executive order that would authorize the sale of TikTok from ByteDance to a company majority owned by American investors.

00:01:42.808 --> 00:01:51.322
This would have kicked Beijing down to a minority ownership position, satisfying the legislation passed under Biden that forced the qualified divestment.

00:01:51.322 --> 00:01:57.105
The deal would have also extended Saturday's sale deadline by four months to sort out financing and paperwork.

00:01:57.105 --> 00:01:59.471
Pretty straightforward, right Wrong.

00:01:59.471 --> 00:02:05.721
Enter Trump's decision to drop the tariff hammer, slapping an additional 34% duties on Chinese goods.

00:02:05.721 --> 00:02:11.584
Fight dance representatives apparently called the whole thing off faster than you can scroll through your For you page.

00:02:11.584 --> 00:02:18.807
They're now refusing to budge until China and the US hold broader talks about future trade relations and get this.

00:02:19.389 --> 00:02:21.593
The potential buyer pool was fascinating.

00:02:21.593 --> 00:02:29.348
Vice President JD Vance had reportedly been leading these discussions for months, courting heavy hitters like Oracle and Amazon.

00:02:29.348 --> 00:02:31.032
But wait, there's more.

00:02:31.032 --> 00:02:39.064
The founder of OnlyFans yes, that OnlyFans Tim Stokely, apparently made a late-stage independent offer to acquire TikTok.

00:02:39.064 --> 00:02:41.812
Can you imagine that corporate transition meeting?

00:02:41.812 --> 00:02:49.050
There was even a Wyoming media entrepreneur named Reed Rasner who put in a $50 million offer that Trump boosted on Truth Social.

00:02:49.050 --> 00:02:50.885
Talk about a long shot.

00:02:50.885 --> 00:02:52.787
Let's not forget why this matters.

00:02:53.280 --> 00:03:01.689
Around 170 million Americans use TikTok, which has raised serious national security concerns about data sharing with its Chinese parent company.

00:03:01.689 --> 00:03:06.572
Trump has suggested that shares could be held by a planned US sovereign wealth fund.

00:03:06.572 --> 00:03:08.439
Bytedance confirmed Friday.

00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:16.209
They've been in discussions with the US government but said an agreement has not been executed and that key matters remain unresolved.

00:03:16.209 --> 00:03:19.930
Any agreement would also need approval under Chinese law.

00:03:19.930 --> 00:03:29.973
Trump bought everyone some time though, announcing a 75-day extension beyond Saturday's deadline, writing on Truth Social that the deal requires more work.

00:03:29.973 --> 00:03:35.633
He added, rather pointedly this proves that tariffs are the most powerful economic tool.

00:03:35.633 --> 00:03:41.111
Classic Trump move, using tariffs as leverage in negotiations across multiple fronts.

00:03:41.111 --> 00:03:43.631
Across multiple fronts.

00:03:44.659 --> 00:03:51.608
In a marathon vote session that stretched into the wee hours of Saturday morning, senate Republicans managed to push through a framework for President Trump's ambitious budget agenda.

00:03:51.608 --> 00:04:04.128
The measure passed mostly along party lines in a 51 to 48 vote around 2.30 am, with only two Republicans, susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, joining Democrats in opposition.

00:04:04.128 --> 00:04:07.647
So what exactly does this budget blueprint contain?

00:04:07.647 --> 00:04:27.463
Well, it's essentially a Republican wish list that would raise the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion through the reconciliation process, which conveniently removes future leverage from Senate Democrats, and, perhaps most significantly, it aims to make Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent.

00:04:27.463 --> 00:04:31.139
Now here's where things get interesting and a bit controversial.

00:04:31.139 --> 00:04:38.639
The framework uses what's called a current policy baseline scoring method, chosen by Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham.

00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.033
In plain English.

00:04:40.033 --> 00:04:51.250
This accounting trick essentially scores the cost of extending Trump's tax cuts at $0, because it's continuing current policy rather than counting it as new money being added to the federal deficit.

00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:54.696
Even some Republicans are raising eyebrows at this approach.

00:04:54.696 --> 00:05:00.814
Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana openly acknowledged on the Senate floor that he has concerns.

00:05:00.814 --> 00:05:05.793
Saying I am not saying that I think it is better that we use current policy as baseline.

00:05:05.793 --> 00:05:07.437
It's never been done before.

00:05:07.437 --> 00:05:08.439
In a setting like this.

00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:11.314
I think it establishes a dangerous precedent.

00:05:11.314 --> 00:05:28.100
Some House conservatives have gone even further, dismissing it outright as a gimmick, but Senate GOP leadership is closing ranks, with Majority Leader John Thune calling the resolution the first step toward a final bill to make permanent the tax relief we implemented in 2017.

00:05:28.550 --> 00:05:39.302
The budget reconciliation process is critical here because it lowers the vote threshold in the Senate from 60 to 51, allowing Republicans to approve certain priorities without a single Democrat vote.

00:05:39.302 --> 00:05:45.423
With a Republican trifecta in Washington, this tool is seen as essential for delivering on Trump's agenda.

00:05:45.423 --> 00:05:58.699
During the six-hour vote-a-rama, democrats introduced amendments aimed at raising the minimum wage, limiting Trump's tariffs and blocking potential Medicaid cuts, all of which were rejected by the Republican majority.

00:05:58.699 --> 00:06:14.338
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lamented afterward that Tonight Senate Democrats gave Senate Republicans the chance to hit the kill switch on Donald Trump's tariffs, on Doge, on the attacks against Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, and at each opportunity Republicans refused.

00:06:14.338 --> 00:06:28.175
Trump himself expressed enthusiastic support for the Senate framework earlier this week, declaring at an unrelated event if we get this done, it'll be the most incredible bill ever passed in the history of our Congress, because of course he did.

00:06:28.175 --> 00:06:35.920
Now the question remains whether House conservatives will accept the Senate plan, despite its similarities to their own framework passed last month.

00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:43.680
As the New York Post reports, the House Budget Committee's Republican majority fired a warning shot right before the Senate vote, posting online.

00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:47.420
Cutting taxes without cutting spending doesn't reduce taxes.

00:06:47.420 --> 00:06:50.059
It merely shifts the tax burden to our children.

00:06:51.672 --> 00:06:58.322
Well, it looks like the tension between the Trump administration and Iran is heating up, and now Russia is jumping into the fray.

00:06:58.322 --> 00:07:08.079
Moscow is pushing back hard against President Trump's recent threats to bomb Iran, with Russian officials labeling such actions illegal and unacceptable.

00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:18.877
President Trump has been ramping up his rhetoric against Iran in recent days, warning of potential direct conflict if Tehran doesn't stop arming the Houthi terrorist group or halt its nuclear program.

00:07:18.877 --> 00:07:23.141
But Russia is making it clear they don't appreciate this kind of saber-rattling.

00:07:23.141 --> 00:07:35.716
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova didn't mince words, stating that threats from outside to bomb Iran's nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe.

00:07:35.716 --> 00:07:43.521
She emphasized that Russia remains committed to finding solutions to Iran's nuclear program that respect its right to peaceful nuclear energy.

00:07:43.889 --> 00:07:47.084
But there's more to this story than just diplomatic posturing.

00:07:47.084 --> 00:07:56.776
According to Rebecca Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer specializing in Russia's warfighting strategy, russia and Iran are not natural allies.

00:07:56.776 --> 00:08:01.415
They share a very turbulent history and there's plenty of distrust in the relationship.

00:08:01.415 --> 00:08:11.059
She notes that Russians are actually wary of Iran developing a fully operational militarized nuclear capability, but would never admit it publicly.

00:08:11.059 --> 00:08:19.394
Koffler suggests that Putin is angling to serve as a broker between the Trump administration and the Iranian government on the nuclear issue.

00:08:19.394 --> 00:08:22.668
This isn't the first time Russia has played both sides.

00:08:22.668 --> 00:08:33.716
During the Obama administration, moscow sided with Washington on economic sanctions against Iran and even complied with requests not to sell S-300 air defense missiles to Tehran.

00:08:34.140 --> 00:08:41.011
Meanwhile, trump's attempts to restart talks with Iran through a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were flatly rejected last Sunday.

00:08:41.011 --> 00:08:50.811
In typical Trump fashion, he told NBC, if they don't make a deal, there will be bombing, though he did float the possibility of secondary tariffs as an alternative.

00:08:50.811 --> 00:08:58.308
Iran's President Massoud Pazeshkian responded that Iran doesn't avoid talks, but that breach of promises has been the issue.

00:08:58.308 --> 00:09:01.086
They must prove that they can build trust.

00:09:01.086 --> 00:09:01.668
He added.

00:09:01.668 --> 00:09:03.426
The stakes couldn't be higher.

00:09:03.426 --> 00:09:14.912
Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% just shy of the 90% weapons-grade level, with experts warning they could have a nuclear weapon within weeks if they take the final steps.

00:09:14.912 --> 00:09:24.000
According to a UN atomic agency report from late March, iran's regime has already enriched enough uranium to manufacture six nuclear weapons.

00:09:25.323 --> 00:09:29.011
Well, folks, that's our news rundown for today, and what a news cycle it's been.

00:09:29.011 --> 00:09:30.863
Let's recap what we've covered.

00:09:30.863 --> 00:09:37.548
President Trump had a TikTok sale deal all but finalized before his tariff announcement threw a wrench in the works.

00:09:37.548 --> 00:09:47.955
Bytedance backed out and now we're in a 75-day extension period while everyone tries to figure out what happens next with those 170 million American users.

00:09:47.955 --> 00:09:59.876
Meanwhile, senate Republicans pushed through their budget framework at 2.30 in the morning, setting the stage for making Trump's tax cuts permanent and raising the debt ceiling by a cool $5 trillion.

00:09:59.876 --> 00:10:10.086
And all this while Russia is calling Trump's threats to bomb Iran illegal and unacceptable, setting up a complex diplomatic chess match between Washington, moscow and Tehran.

00:10:10.447 --> 00:10:11.330
The common thread.

00:10:11.330 --> 00:10:24.196
President Trump is making big moves on multiple fronts simultaneously Trade, budget, foreign policy creating both opportunities and complications that will shape American politics for years to come.

00:10:24.196 --> 00:10:28.751
That's all for today's episode of Ranting Politics Headline Updates.

00:10:28.751 --> 00:10:45.822
Follow us on X at RantingRP, subscribe on YouTube, spotify, iheartradio and Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to visit our website at RantingPoliticscom, where we cut through the noise to deliver the unfiltered truth without partisan spin.

00:10:45.822 --> 00:10:48.288
Remember we don't align with a political party.

00:10:48.288 --> 00:10:50.802
We align with you, the American citizen.

00:10:50.802 --> 00:10:57.683
This is JOC signing off and thank you, our loyal listeners, for choosing Ranting Politics Headline Updates.

00:10:57.683 --> 00:11:01.600
We'll be back soon with the updates you need to navigate these interesting times.

00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:06.889
Until then, stay tuned, stay informed and, as always, stay free.

Tik Tok Deal Falls Apart Over Tariffs? Senate Framework Fight, Russia Tries Ref Role between U.S. Iran

Listen On

Recent Episodes