Rubbish Check
ABC News Business (AP wire) · 13 September 2026
source“Trump says he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates ABC News' headline that Trump "plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey" a 2/10 because the headline accurately quotes Trump's own words, correctly hedges with "plans to" since no timeline or formal order exists yet, and matches the corrected 10% figure verified by AP.
The Verdict
Lightly altered, close to base fact. The headline is essentially a direct paraphrase of what Trump said at the trophy ceremony, and the "plans to" framing correctly signals intent rather than enacted policy, which the article itself confirms by noting no timeline was available. The only nitpick is that the headline can't convey the informal, off-the-cuff nature of the announcement (made at a golf trophy ceremony, not via any trade office statement), but that nuance is fully covered in the body text.
What actually happened
Trump announced at the Irish Open trophy presentation in Doonbeg that he intends to remove the 10% U.S. tariff currently applied to Irish whiskey under the broader EU tariff regime. Trump said during the trophy ceremony for the Irish Open that he had been asked about the issue by everyone, including some of the golfers. No formal executive action or timeline accompanied the remark.
Key facts
- Irish whiskey currently faces the standard tariff imposed by Trump on most imports from the European Union, which was reduced from 15% to 10% in July.
- Trump announced in April that he was lifting certain tariffs on U.K. whiskey, which includes Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland, creating an imbalance with Ireland.
- Trump's exact quote, confirmed across outlets: "On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off" Irish whiskey.
- No effective date or formal order was issued; the article notes details on timing "were not immediately available."
- The Irish Whiskey Association had lobbied for this exact move since May, per the supplied article.
What to watch for
Watch whether this becomes a formal proclamation or fades as an unenacted golf-course promise, since Trump has a pattern of announcing tariff changes informally before paperwork follows (as with the UK whiskey exemption in April). Also watch whether the 10% baseline itself shifts again under the broader EU trade negotiation.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
