President Donald Trump’s move-fast-and-break-things ethos this week led to a major setback for his trade policy, leaving the White House scrambling to chart its way around a potentially devastating legal ruling.
Trump’s determination to move fast could slow implementation of his tariff regime.
“He’s been consistent on tariffs and trade since the 1980s,” said a White House official, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
“It’s important to understand that the president’s trade team has been thinking about these legal tools for years, right?
We have a lot of folks on TV and the internet who’ve been thinking about it for about six minutes,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during an interview on CNBC Friday morning.
This week’s move-fast-and-break-things mentality by President Donald Trump caused a significant blow to his trade policy, leaving the White House frantically trying to navigate a potentially disastrous court decision.
But now that the main component of his economic plan is in danger, Trump is reaffirming his promise to impose high tariffs by any means necessary. He is also sticking it to those who doubt his resolve and believe he will “chicken out.”. He and administration representatives have stated that talks with other nations will go on, that they are certain they will prevail in their ongoing legal battle over tariffs, and that they are even putting backup plans for new tariffs ready in case they fail.
Trump’s haste may cause his tariff regime to be implemented more slowly. He also runs the risk of losing the trust of companies he depends on to invest in the United States. A. and global authorities, whose support he needs to negotiate trade agreements.
Still, few anticipate a change in stance from a president who is known for being unyielding or any rethinking in the wake of the U.S. ruling on Wednesday. S. . The majority of the tariffs were temporarily suspended by the Court of International Trade.
That, in my opinion, won’t deter the administration in any manner. Marc Short, who was vice president Mike Pence’s chief of staff during the first term of President Trump and Trump’s director of legislative affairs, stated that the president would attempt to exercise his tariff authority through any means possible. “The president doesn’t readily concede defeat. In 2020, he most certainly didn’t. It’s not as though he will abandon this because of a negative court decision. “”.
For Trump and his top aides, the speed at which he is implementing his entire agenda—not just trade policy—is a strength, not a weakness. Senior White House staff members usually attribute any inconsistency or volatility in the president’s policymaking approach to his dealmaking skills, and trade adviser Peter Navarro, who has been with Trump since his first term, frequently calls the pace “Trump time.”.
“We must move quickly,” Trump said to reporters Friday afternoon in the Oval Office. “We must be quick and agile. “”.
One Trump ally outside the White House, who asked not to be named, said that Trump might be particularly eager to dispel the idea that he is weak after the nickname TACO, or “Trump Always Chickens Out,” became popular among Wall Street traders.
The person stated, “Mainly because of this TACO theme, I don’t think Trump can back down now.”. He’s obviously really annoyed by it, and it now seems to be a challenge to his individuality. “.”.
Leaders from Europe have persisted in criticizing the U. S. . is unpredictable when it comes to trade, which is a sign of what Trump may encounter at the G7 summit in Canada next month when he shows up with a somewhat softer negotiating stance.
Although he frequently refers to tariffs as the “most beautiful word” in the English language, the president has made no indication that he intends to back down.
Inside the West Wing, aides played down the legal backlash as a small setback rather than a serious danger to a trade policy that is becoming more and more important to the president’s economic legacy. Furthermore, there was no expectation that Trump would abandon his maximalist trade agenda, even though they objected to the TACO-centric discourse.
“He’s been consistent on trade and tariffs since the 1980s,” a White House official who asked not to be named to discuss internal discussions said. Since someone created a taco meme that is going viral, he isn’t adamant about this. “.”.
Administrators are preparing contingency plans in case the wide range of taxes they have imposed on the U.S. S. When an appeals court returns to the case in June, trade lawyers and others in the administration anticipate that trading partners will once more be placed on hold in court.
One of these, according to two people who were given anonymity to speak about the administration’s trade strategy, would enable it to swiftly impose tariffs without the consent of Congress or a more onerous process of gathering and reviewing evidence. The president could use levies of up to 15 percent, but only for six months, to replace the current 10 percent all-purpose tariffs on nations. That is one of several strategies being considered. To extend them, Trump would then require the consent of Congress.
We have a lot of people on TV and the internet who have been considering these legal tools for roughly six minutes, so it’s crucial to realize that the president’s trade team has been considering them for years, U said. A. Jamieson Greer, a trade representative, speaking on CNBC on Friday morning. Therefore, it goes without saying that we have been thinking about and discussing these topics for a very long time. These are all on the table. “”.
However, Section 122 tariffs, so-called because of the section of the Trade Act that describes them, have never been put to the test in court, so the administration may be thwarted once more. The White House used emergency powers under the federal law known as IEEPA to swiftly enact the so-called Liberation Day tariffs, but a federal court ruled on Wednesday that this was beyond his legal authority.
“The president has stated that tariffs are a key component of his economic agenda and that he intends to use the leverage that the tariffs provide to improve outcomes for the United States, regardless of whether you proceed under IEEPA or another authority. A. Everett Eissenstat, a key trade adviser during Trump’s first term and the former deputy director of the National Economic Council, stated as much. He will proceed whether this tool or another one, such as tariff authority, is used. “”.
But even Trump supporters worry that White House officials aren’t doing enough to advise the president on his best options, relying on his hasty decision-making without offering him a comprehensive set of longer-term plans.
Stephen Moore, Trump’s outside economic adviser who has long questioned the administration’s go-it-alone trade strategy, stated, “Whether you support tariffs or not, it’s pretty clear the president doesn’t have unilateral authority to raise taxes.”. It’s pretty obvious that Congress will eventually need to vote on tariff policy. “.”.
While advisors considered ways to navigate the maze of impending legal obstacles, Trump aimed to show determination.
