Trump Serves Yet More Tariff Chaos, Deepening Con on Working People
There is no sign of a sensible trade policy in sight.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Trump announced via Truth Social a 90-day pause on the “reciprocal tariffs” he has levied on dozens of countries, reverting to his baseline of 10%, with the exception of China now at 125%.
Melinda St. Louis, Global Trade Watch Director at Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Trump’s ‘will he, won’t he’ tariff chaos is just one more con on working people. He claimed that the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ would protect American jobs, but these reckless tariffs were never designed to do that. He just wants to wield threats as a schoolyard bully while giving his billionaire buddies sweetheart deals.
“When he says he’s going to ‘negotiate,’ he means more harmful free trade agreements that double down on the failed trade model he claims to oppose and that force countries to gut public interest protections for the benefit of Big Tech, Big Pharma, and other corporate giants. And he wants U.S. companies to beg for exemptions from his tariffs, as they did in his first term. This is all part of Trump’s authoritarianism and corruption, forcing countries and businesses to bend the knee just as he is doing with law firms and universities.
“Who’s left out of his megalomaniacal game? The workers he claimed to support. All he has shown is that he’ll cave to Wall Street’s handwringing and prioritize his own power over real people’s plight.”