
While celebrating 100 days back in office with his trademark pomp and flair, Donald Trump delivered a harsh message to his supporters, defending his aggressive trade war thatâs making America greatly unaffordable for many.
In August 2024, Donald Trump promised Americans that under his presidency, the cost of living would be more affordable.
âWhen I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one,â Trump promised during a campaign speech in August 2024. Referring to increasing domestic oil production, CNN writes that he also pledged, âWe will drill, baby, drill.â
âAmerica Firstâ
After he returned to the Oval Office â a little more than 100 days ago â Trump implemented the America First Trade Policy, a plan intended to reduce the âNationâs dependence on other countries,â and eliminate âdestructive trade deficitsâ by collecting âtariffs, duties, and other foreign trade-related revenues.â
Moving forward with the action, the President announced on April 2 a 10% tariff on most countries, along with higher tariff rates that will kick in on July 9, unless separate trade agreements are made.
The President has also imposed 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, 25% levies on Canada and Mexico, and 145% tariffs on China, which â U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent â is âthe equivalent of an embargo.â
China retaliated by boosting its tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% and The European Union is also readying countermeasures, Reuters reports.
âRipping us offâ
Speaking with ABCâs Terry Moran, Trump defended the controversial tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports, from steel and electronics to toys and household goods, denying suggestions that itâll âraise prices on everything from electronics to clothing to building houses.â
âThatâs goodâŠthey deserve it,â POTUS said, adding that itâs still unknown if prices will increase. Framing the move as a patriotic stand against economic exploitation, he continued, âChina probably will eat those tariffs. But at 145, they basically canât do much business with the United States. They were ripping us off like nobodyâs ever ripped us off.
âAnd by the way, we have other countries that were just as badâŠEvery country, almost every country in the world was ripping us off.â
But China wonât eat anything without serving a plate to Americans. According to Reuters, Chinaâs foreign ministry spokesperson said that Beijingâs âposition of firmly opposing U.S. abuse of tariffs has not changed,â which means the trade war will only escalate.
âCountryâs doing greatâ
And now, only 100 days into Trumps return to the Oval Office, the real-world impact of his global trade war is hitting closer to home.
Insisting his actions are fueling the U.S. economy, and denying thereâs any financial strain on Americans, the President boasted that the âcountryâs doing greatâ since he returned to the Oval Office 100 days before. Â
âItâs â many years of trading abuse. Weâve been abused by other countries for years and years. They laughed at us. They thought we were stupid people, and weâre fixing it,â Trump told Moran in the April 29 interview. âWeâre doing very well. Weâre doing very well. Wait till you see the real numbers come out in about â in six months from now wait till you see the numbers.â
âLaughed atâ
Putting him in the hot seat, Moran pointed out that thereâs been âreputational damageâ since his presidency, pointing out that Canadians are âreally angry, furiousâ over Trumpâs suggestions of possession over the country.
âThatâs their prerogative,â he said, arguing that heâs âdone an amazing job: and is âmaking America great again.â
âI think itâs gone way up, and I think weâre a respected country again. We were laughed at all over the world. We had â a president that couldnât walk up a flight of stairs, couldnât walk down a flight of stairs, couldnât walk across a stage without falling. We had a president that was grossly incompetent,â he said.
Contradicts campaign promise
What has âgone way upâ under Trumpâs leadership is the cost of living.
Reports reveal that the Presidentâs America First Trade Policy will cost American families an estimated $4,000 to almost $8,000 per household â primarily due to increased prices on imported goods, from electronics and toys, clothing to cars and everyday groceries. Â
âPeople are worried, even some people who voted for you, saying, âI didnât sign up for this.â So how do you answer those concerns?â Moran asked the President.
Trump replied, âWell, they did sign up for it, actually. And this is what I campaigned on. I said that â weâve been abused by other countries at levels that nobodyâs ever seen beforeâŠâ
Trump also promised to bring down prices.
Denying he failed to failed to fulfill that promise, he insisted: âI have.â
âScaryâ and âchaoticâ
But, Americans are feeling the pressure of his presidency.
According to a joint ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, the President is facing the lowest 100-day approval rating of any U.S. president in the past 80 years, with 55% of disapproving of how Trump is handling his job in this second term.
Meanwhile, a separate New York Times/Siena College poll reveals that just 42% of respondents approve of his performance so far, with the majority describing his presidency as âscaryâ and âchaotic.â
Despite the bold policies and high-profile headlines, it appears many voters are feeling more turbulence than triumph.
What do you think of Trumpâs first 100 days in office? Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can get the conversation started!
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