Europe may have failed to produce homegrown rivals to America’s leading technology companies, but it has become exceptionally proficient at punishing American success. Fortunately, President Donald Trump is prepared to defend it.

Following the European Union’s latest $1 billion fine against Google – which brings the company’s cumulative European penalties to more than $10 billion – Trump announced July 24 on social media that his administration would initiate a Section 301 investigation into the EU’s practice of “ 'ROBBING' American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer.”

The president is right. The fine on Google is only the latest salvo in Europe’s sustained assault on America’s most successful and innovative companies. This financial attack is weakly defended by Brussels as an exercise in “sovereignty.”

As I warned in April, a Section 301 investigation is long overdue.

European regulators have taxed, fined, investigated and restricted American companies while attempting to dictate how they operate and what speech they may permit. Brussels apparently assumed Washington would never respond in kind.

EU........

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