President Donald Trump is standing firm amid global hand-wringing over his historic tariff policy rollout, calling the sweeping trade measures “a beautiful thing to behold” and insisting that the short-term market dip is a small price to pay for long-term economic independence and national strength.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump made it clear he has no intention of backing down from the bold new tariff strategy that has rocked global markets and put America’s trading partners on notice. “The tariffs are working, and they’re here to stay,” he wrote. “We’re reversing decades of failure and ending the era of sellout trade deals.”
The administration recently enacted a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, with even higher rates for countries that have taken advantage of U.S. trade generosity for years. China is now facing a 34% tariff. The European Union, 20%. South Korea and Japan are hit with 25% and 24%, respectively. Taiwan faces a 32% rate. These are the most significant tariffs imposed by the U.S. since the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Act, and they’ve sent a clear message: America is done playing by rigged globalist rules.
Markets predictably panicked. The Dow dropped 2.1%, the S&P fell about 2.5%, and the Nasdaq tumbled 3.1%. International markets took an even bigger hit, with Tokyo’s index sliding 8% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng crashing by nearly 10%. But President Trump isn’t blinking.
“This was expected,” one senior administration official said. “You don’t fix a broken trade system without upsetting the people who benefit from the brokenness.”
Trump’s economic team, led by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, confirmed that over 50 countries have reached out to begin trade negotiations since the tariffs went into effect. But the White House has made it clear: the tariffs will not be delayed or softened. This is the leverage Trump intended to create—a way to bring foreign governments to the table to negotiate fairer, more reciprocal terms.
Despite cries from Wall Street and globalist economists, Trump is staying the course. “Yes, there will be an adjustment period,” he said, “but what comes next is a manufacturing revival and an American middle class that’s no longer crushed by foreign imports and corporate outsourcing.”
Critics warn of higher consumer prices and potential trade retaliation. But Trump’s supporters see the bigger picture. For decades, America’s trade policies enriched foreign competitors while gutting U.S. industry. Now, under Trump’s leadership, the playing field is finally being leveled.
This isn’t just a policy—it’s a course correction. A bold return to putting American jobs, American factories, and American workers first. While the global elite may whine, Main Street USA is ready to rebuild—and with Trump at the helm, they’re finally getting the chance.