Hours earlier than sweeping tariffs got here into impact for greater than 90 nations — together with a 125 per cent levy on China — U.S. President Donald Trump boasted that countries had been calling and “kissing my ass” in a final-ditch effort to signal a deal.
“I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass,” he mentioned throughout a speech on the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner on Tuesday evening, his feedback garnering a giggle from the viewers.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson listens as President Donald Trump speaks throughout the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner on the National Constructing Museum on April 8 in Washington, D.C.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs)
“They are. They are dying to make a deal. ‘Please, please, sir, make a deal. I’ll do something. I’ll do something, sir!’” he continued, with out specifying which countries had allegedly picked up the telephone.
The president additionally criticized some Republican get together members who’ve brazenly opposed his “reciprocal” tariffs and are making an attempt to move a invoice that may grant Congress new powers, as well as to current ones, to block them.
“I see some insurgent Republican, some man who desires to grandstand, say, ‘I feel that Congress ought to take over negotiations.’ Let me inform you, you don’t negotiate like I negotiate,” he mentioned. “Oh, that’s what I would like. I would like some man telling me how to negotiate.”
Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska launched laws on Monday that goals to prohibit Trump’s more and more destabilizing financial coverage, which is inflicting dramatic fluctuations in worldwide inventory markets and elevating alarm bells amongst economists.

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The laws would put an expiry date on proposed tariffs by giving Congress 60 days to approve them and require the president to present 48 hours’ discover of an incoming obligation alongside its objective and an affect evaluation.
Republican Jeff Hurd from Colorado co-signed the invoice alongside two Democratic representatives, Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Rep. Gregory Meeks.
“When folks are already battling increased prices, we should do every thing potential to make their lives extra inexpensive. President Trump’s tariffs are doing simply the alternative — elevating the price of almost every thing from espresso to automobiles and clothes whereas slashing folks’s retirement financial savings and sending markets plummeting,” Gottheimer mentioned.
In the meantime, Hurd, his Republican counterpart, argued that the tariffs are unconstitutional.
“This isn’t a political subject for me. I consider Congress should reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority, and I might assist this measure no matter who’s within the White Home,” he mentioned.
The Trump administration hit China with its most extreme set of levies to date on Tuesday, after the manufacturing powerhouse retaliated with 34 per cent tariffs in response to Trump’s 34 per cent import tax, carried out final week.
Early Tuesday, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned it was “a mistake for China to retaliate,” echoing the president’s stance that tariffs are vital to offset the U.S.’s trade deficit with world companions.
At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Trump struck once more with a 104 per cent tariff. Beijing responded with an 84 per cent levy on the U.S.
Early Wednesday, China filed a criticism with the World Trade Group (WTO), warning of the impacts of the spiralling trade war.
“The scenario has dangerously escalated. As one of many affected members, China expresses grave concern and agency opposition to this reckless transfer,” China mentioned in an announcement to the WTO, despatched to Reuters by the Chinese language mission in Geneva.
It additionally accused the U.S. of violating the WTO’s guidelines and claimed it was undermining agreed-upon and established guidelines of worldwide trade.
On Wednesday afternoon, Trump mentioned he would pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days for greater than 75 countries, excluding China.
He’s, nonetheless, sustaining a ten per cent baseline tariff for the countries initially topic to reciprocal tariffs, once more not together with China.
— With information from Reuters
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