Two Shootings and Tariffs

Many commentators, based on the antagonistic media portrayals of Mr. Trump, reject his maneuvers as cheap theatrics. However, the political astuteness of the man who, despite negative media narratives, lawfare, and attempts on his life, must not be doubted.

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INDIA-U.S.

While the Indian media was preoccupied with US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his aide Peter Navarro’s verbal gibes against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the horror of another mass shooting in the US was also unfolding. 

More on tariffs later. However, what is common between the two incidents is the element of anti-India bigotry. To most discerning minds, it isn’t surprising that the radically regressive ideologies of transgederism, antisemitism, jihadism, and anti-India bigotry are somehow connected.

THE ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOOTING

It was the third day of the new school year—Wednesday, August 27, 2025—at The Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooting began just before 8:30 am. The kids had gathered at the church for Mass to celebrate the start of the new school year. The school teaches pupils from preschool to eighth grade. It is affiliated with the over a century-old Annunciation Catholic Church next door.

The perpetrator, identified by the law enforcement agencies, was a 23-yearold transgender woman, Robin (born Robert) Westman. Westman opened fire through the stained glass windows. The shooter killed two children, ages 8 and 10, and injured 18. Robin also died in an apparent suicide. Westman, by all accounts, appeared to be a mentally disturbed individual radicalized by the leftist jihadist ideology. Westman fantasized about violence against children and had an elaborately drawn seating map of the Annunciation Church. Besides anti-Catholic taunts, Westman's manifesto mentioned killing "filthy Zionist Jews." Westman's weapons had "NUKE INDIA," "Kill Donald Trump," "Israel Must Fall," "Mashallah," etc., inscribed on them.