The president says tariffs are part of an ‘economic revolution.’
President Donald Trump on Saturday called on Americans to “hang tough” through what he described as a difficult-but-necessary adjustment period following his sweeping new tariff policy, which has reset U.S. trade strategy and triggered a global market selloff.
In an April 5 post on Truth Social, Trump described the moment as an “economic revolution,” saying that the outcome will be historic.
“We will win. Hang tough, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic,” Trump wrote, partially in capital letters. “We will, make America great again!!!”
The message followed Trump’s April 2 address from the White House, where he declared an economic emergency and announced a 10 percent tariff on nearly all imports. Steeper duties were unveiled for roughly 60 nations identified by the administration as “worst offenders” in trade imbalances with the United States—with China at the top of the list.
Specific levies include a 34 percent tariff on Chinese imports (raising total tariffs to 54 percent), 46 percent on Vietnam, 24 percent on Japan, and 20 percent on Europe. The global tariffs took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, with the higher, targeted tariffs scheduled to begin on April 9.
Beijing responded Friday with a 34 percent tariff on all U.S. imports, alongside other retaliatory measures—including a potential restriction on exports of rare-earth elements critical to technologies such as electric vehicles and defense systems.
In response, Trump said that China can’t afford to retaliate and that his policies have already triggered trillions in new U.S. investment and robust job growth.
“China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close,” Trump wrote. “They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless ‘whipping post,’ but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than five trillion dollars of investment, and rising fast!”
By Tom Ozimek
