"I tell you these countries are calling us to kiss my ass." This is what Donald Trump said during the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner in Washington, speaking about the countries hit by the tariffs that want to negotiate to reduce the tariffs . Addressing the Republican audience to assert his hard line, the American president assured that the many countries hit by the tariffs are "dying" to make a deal.
Meanwhile, the tariff strategy is throwing the idyll between Donald Trump and Elon Musk into crisis, and opening the first deep cracks within the administration.
Opposed to tariffs since the president's first term, the billionaire tried to use his privileged role as first buddy to launch a personal and direct appeal to the tycoon against duties, one of the pillars of the presidential agenda. His effort, however, fell on deaf ears, with Trump who not only reiterated his hard line but also launched further tariffs against China.
The president's dry rejection seems to bring Musk's exit from the administration closer, which has been rumored for weeks. The failed attempt has not stopped the first buddy and his criticisms against the person he considers the architect of the White House tariffs, Peter Navarro, the Trump loyalist who ended up in prison for four months in 2024 for contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with the House inquiry commission on January 6. The richest man in the world has used very harsh words against the trade adviser: he called him a "moron", "dumber than a bag of bricks" and nicknamed him "Peter Retarrdo".
Also supporting Musk in his anti-tariff battle is his brother Kimball, who, on X, described the tariffs as "a permanent tax on American consumers." Meanwhile, the White House is pouring oil on troubled waters: "They're kids, we'll let them do it," commented spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
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Navarro isn't the only one in the government who's been targeted by criticism. He's joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the former CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald who's been lashed out by Trump-backing hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman. In calling for a 90-day pause on tariffs to allow for negotiations, Ackman has pointed the finger at Lutnick, accusing him of having a conflict of interest because of his investment strategy.
"He makes money when our economy implodes," he explained on social media, voicing the frustration of Wall Street managers, busy behind the scenes trying to figure out how to deal with the effects of the tariffs and hoping that Republicans will pressure the president to at least postpone the duties for countries negotiating with the United States. Wall Street is also looking hopefully at the Treasury Secretary, considered one of the key figures in Trump's entourage capable of exerting 'positive' pressure on the president on the issue of tariffs.
Scott Bessent flew to Mar-a-Lago last weekend to convince the tycoon to recalibrate his message on tariffs to try to avoid a new stock market crash. The Treasury secretary advised him not to abandon his plan but to focus on possible negotiations and the possibility of reaching trade agreements that are positive for the United States.
By highlighting the positive aspects of the tariffs, Trump - it was suggested - could have reassured analysts and observers and avoided further sessions of sharp decline capable of endangering and shaking up the plan on the duties. Despite the rebound on Wall Street, investors and billionaires who bet on Trump are staying on the sidelines. Among them are the big names in Silicon Valley, who invested in the election campaign and the inauguration ceremony of the president but who have so far been disappointed, with the first remnant of the Trump administration translating into new headaches and million-dollar losses on the markets.
(Online Union)