Trump threatens China with additional 50 percent tariff
Trump has threatened an additional 50% tariff on goods imported from China if the country does not withdraw its retaliatory tariffs.
China, one of the U.S.'s largest trading partners, said it would place a 34% tariff rate on U.S. imports after the Trump administration increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods to at least 54%.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said today that if the country did not reverse course by tomorrow, he would impose “ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th.”
“Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!" said Trump. “Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately.”
Two Republican senators urge Trump to take E.U. tariffs deal
Republican Sens. Ron Johnson and Mike Lee posted in favor of Trump taking up the E.U. on its offer of zero-for-zero tariffs.
"Let’s take that deal!" Lee, of Utah, said on X, sharing a video of European Commission President Urula von der Leyen talking about the proposal. "Much to gain."
Johnson reposted Lee's comments, saying he agreed.
"Totally agree with @BasedMikeLee," the Wisconsin Republican said. "At some point, you have to take YES for an answer."
WH official compares Trump golfing during market strain to 'a birthday party after a friend has had surgery'
Trump is not concerned about the optics of golfing in Florida on the weekends as the market sinks and economists worry that his tariffs will slow the U.S. economy, make inflation worse and even lead to a recession, a White House official said.
The official said Trump sees the Dow Jones plummeting and market strains as a temporary issue that will resolve itself.
The official said Trump's golfing during the market strain was like “going to a birthday party after a friend has had surgery,” adding that the friend — the U.S. economy — will recover and that the president can enjoy his time in Florida while continuing to work.
“The economy will be fine,” the official said.
Top Trump economic adviser defends tariffs by saying imports are a small percentage of GDP
When asked on Fox New this morning about business leaders’ criticizing Trump’s tariffs, top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett downplayed the impact and said foreign imports only make up a small part of the U.S. economy.
Referring to billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, one of the critics, Hassett said, "I would urge everyone, especially Bill, to ease off the rhetoric a little bit. The fact is the 10% baseline tariff is on what, 14% of GDP, that’s about how much trade we have, how many imports. And so 86% of the GDP is affected by the deregulation and the tax cuts and everything else."
Ackman, a staunch Trump supporter, called for a pause on the tariffs Sunday in posts on X and said the U.S. may be headed toward a "self-induced, economic nuclear winter, and we should start hunkering down."
Hassett added that "the idea that it’s going to be a nuclear winter or something like that is completely irresponsible rhetoric."
Stagflation fears are paralyzing government borrowing rates
As part of their defense of his economic policy and tariffs rollout, Trump and other White House officials have pointed to demand for government bonds increasing, which has caused borrowing rates to decline — in theory, making it easier for his administration to continue to finance the U.S.'s massive debt obligations.
However, bond demand has proven considerably more volatile than what those officials have portrayed — and the reasons for the price movements in either direction do not necessarily portend favorable economic outcomes.
In short, the fear of stagflation — accelerating inflation without solid economic growth — is affecting how bond yields, or how much investors earn on a bond, are moving.
Demand for bonds tends to be correlated to inflation expectations. When people expect more inflation, the yield rises; with less price growth expected, the yield falls.
Today, even amid the collapse in stocks, bond yields are still hovering above 4%, well above pre-pandemic levels. That suggests that even as economic growth looks to pull back dramatically, hotter inflation could still be present.
"Slowing growth and rising inflation create an increasingly uneasy macro environment that resembles stagflation, even if it doesn’t fully meet the definition," Christian Floro, a market strategist at Principal Asset Management, said in a note today. "This mix only adds complexity to the policy outlook."
Markets briefly rally, then decline again, after social media post suggests tariffs delay
Stocks saw a sharp but brief rally around 10:15 a.m., around the same time that a headline began circulating on social media that Trump was considering a 90-day pause.
However, the White House said no such pause was being considered in a post to X.
The pause suggestion appeared to have originated from a small account on X, but spread quickly after some well-followed finance accounts reposted it without verifying it.
Top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett was asked about a 90-day pause during a Fox News interview this morning, but did not say such a pause was on the table.
“I think the president is going to decide what the president is going to decide," Hassett said. "There are more than 50 countries in negotiation with the president.”
Democrats question law firms over 'shakedown' deals with Trump administration
Two Democratic members of Congress have sent letters to law firms that have reached deals or are reportedly negotiating with the Trump White House to avoid executive orders targeting the firms.
The letters — from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's investigations subcommittee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee — were sent to Paul Weiss; Sullivan & Cromwell; Kirkland; Skadden Arps; Wilkie; and Milbank, as well as to White House Counsel David Warrington.
Blumenthal and Raskin wrote that the executive orders targeting law firms were "in blatant violation of the rights guaranteed to all Americans by the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments of the United States Constitution" and were "part of a broader effort by President Trump to use the powers of the presidency to intimidate and silence his perceived enemies." The executive orders "have turned into an illegal shakedown of the legal profession," they wrote.
"If every law firm targeted by the President were to accede to his unlawful demands, the resulting threat to Americans’ constitutional protections would erode our democratic values and cherished civil liberties, as well as cost the legal profession dearly and for many years to come," one of the letters states. "Indeed, American Bar Association’s (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct state that it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to 'engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.'"
The letters came as Raskin and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calf., plan to hold a "shadow hearing" today to highlight what they see as the Trump administration's attack on the rule of law. The hearing will feature testimony from Justice Department employees who have been pushed out in the first few months of the Trump administration.
Treasury secretary dismisses Americans’ retirement concerns
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed concerns Americans might be having about a potential recession and the status of their retirement plans, saying Trump and his administration are “building the long-term economic fundamentals for prosperity.”
In an interview yesterday with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Bessent called it a “false narrative” that people who are close to retiring may be reluctant after their retirement savings dropped last week because of the stock market downturn.
“I think that’s a false narrative,” he told moderator Kristen Welker. “Americans who want to retire right now, the Americans who put away for years in their savings accounts, I think they don’t look at the day-to-day fluctuations.”
“In fact, most Americans don’t have everything in the market,” he added. “People have a long-term view. ... The reason the stock market is considered a good investment is because it’s a long-term investment. If you look day to day, week to week, it’s very risky. Over the long term, it’s a good investment.”
European Commission president says Europe is 'ready to negotiate with the U.S.'
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today that Europe is ready to negotiate with the U.S. over tariffs.
"We stand ready to negotiate with the United States," she said in a video posted on X. "Indeed, we have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods as we have successfully done with many other trading partners because Europe is always ready for a good deal so we keep it on the table."
She continued, "But we’re also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests."
On Wednesday, Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs on the E.U. will take effect for most goods. The bloc already faces 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum from the U.S.
Japanese prime minister appeals to Trump on tariffs in call
Trump spoke by phone with the prime minister of Japan today, both leaders said, as the key U.S. ally seeks a reprieve from tariffs.
Calling Trump’s 24% tariff on Japanese goods “extremely unfortunate,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba — whose country is the single-largest foreign investor in the U.S. — said he told Trump during their 25-minute call that he was “deeply concerned that these American tariff measures will reduce the investment capacity of Japanese companies.”
Earlier today, Ishiba — one of the first foreign leaders to visit the White House after Trump’s inauguration in January — told Japanese lawmakers that he would meet with Trump himself if necessary and that the tariffs were unjustified.
“We have not done anything that’s unfair, and I think we need to make that clear,” he said.
In a post on his Truth Social platform after their phone call, Trump said Ishiba was “sending a top team to negotiate! They have treated the U.S. very poorly on Trade.”
In South Korea, another key U.S. ally in Asia, Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo is preparing for a two-day visit to Washington this week for tariff negotiations, his ministry said today. Last week, Trump announced a 25% tariff on South Korean goods, in addition to existing tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars and auto parts.
“The government will put in all-out efforts in negotiations with the U.S. to minimize the impact of Washington’s trade policies on Korean businesses and industries,” the ministry said, according to the Yonhap news agency.