2w ago / 12:01 PM EDT

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.”

2w ago / 11:47 AM EDT

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."

2w ago / 11:36 AM EDT

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.

President Donald Trump and his son Eric after he arrived Thursday at the LIV Golf tournament at his Trump National Doral Golf Club.Joe Raedle / Getty Images
2w ago / 11:30 AM EDT

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."

2w ago / 11:17 AM EDT

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.

2w ago / 11:07 AM EDT

Markets briefly rally, then decline again, after social media post suggests tariffs delay

Gabe Gutierrez
Rob Wile and Gabe Gutierrez

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.” 

2w ago / 10:55 AM EDT

Democrats question law firms over 'shakedown' deals with Trump administration

Reporting from Washington

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.

2w ago / 10:51 AM EDT

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.”

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this morning. Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty Images

Read the full story here.

2w ago / 10:42 AM EDT

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.

2w ago / 10:25 AM EDT

Japanese prime minister appeals to Trump on tariffs in call

Arata Yamamoto
Roy Luo
Arata Yamamoto and Roy Luo
Reporting from Tokyo

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.