President Donald Trump holds a chart on reciprocal tariffs during an event titled ‘Make America Wealthy Again’, at the White House in Washington, DC. Trump geared up to unveil sweeping new ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs in a move that threatens to ignite a devastating global trade war.
Image: Brendan Smialowski/AFP
“Now I’ve seen it all.”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said that to myself over the past few months. Every time Donald Trump sets fire to another piece of the global order, I find myself staring at the same spot, wondering how we got here – and what I’ve missed in the script of modern politics.
During his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to “teach a lesson” to all of America’s trading partners. True to form, he didn’t waste time testing that theory. In February, he launched a trial balloon by slapping tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. The pretext? They weren’t doing enough to curb migration and drug trafficking. Ottawa and Mexico City quickly came to the table, validating Trump’s belief that the tariff stick could beat other nations into talks. That success emboldened him to try the same strategy globally.
So he did. And what followed was, frankly, more entertaining than many had expected.
Markets crashed. Oil prices plunged. Economists predicted a recession. Americans started stockpiling food and supplies. The media raced to outdo one another with the most ridiculous nicknames for the unfolding chaos. Meanwhile, the White House calmly insisted everything was “going to plan.”
And what exactly was the plan? Trump himself made it quite clear: to make the world “kiss his ass.”
This, in essence, is the classic Trump playbook – what some call his “psychopath strategy.” He creates a crisis, then offers to dial it back as a “goodwill gesture,” demanding concessions in return. In this case, those concessions were to include correcting America’s trade deficits and forcing production to return home.
But this time, Trump may have overplayed his hand. Starting a trade war with the entire world simultaneously didn’t just rattle governments – it shook Americans at home. As the reality of a potential recession hit, Trump’s approval ratings plummeted. Many in the public began to view the president and his team as, to put it mildly, lacking in competence.
The widespread backlash gave Democrats a rare opportunity to go on the offensive. Anti-tariff rallies sprang up across the country, organized by liberal groups and activists. Trump faced public rebukes from Barack Obama and Kamala Harris. Congressman Al Green even announced plans to introduce articles of impeachment – for a third time.
And it wasn’t just the left sounding the alarm.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, warned of a potential “bloodbath” for the GOP in the 2026 midterms if the tariffs triggered a full-scale recession. Billionaires on Wall Street – many of whom had backed Trump – voiced their displeasure. Most notably, Elon Musk, a longtime Trump ally, publicly criticized the president’s trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling him “an idiot” and “dumber than a bag of potatoes.”
Faced with political, financial, and public pressure, the Trump administration acted quickly. On April 9, Trump announced that 75 countries had contacted him requesting deals. In response, he reduced tariffs to 10% for a 90-day window, framing it as an opportunity for negotiation.
China, in particular, has proven to be a far more resilient adversary. The US–China trade war continues to escalate, with tit-for-tat tariffs now reaching 140% – and climbing. If it goes on unchecked, trade between the world’s two largest economies could shrink by 80%, with catastrophic consequences for both sides.
Two scenarios seem likely. Either Trump pressures his trading partners into quick concessions and declares victory, or he walks away halfway through and finds a new distraction – much like he did with Ukraine.
Remember the fanfare when Trump promised to deliver peace in Ukraine “within 24 hours”? Or even “within 100 days”? The moment it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, the White House stopped talking about it altogether.
That’s Trump’s style. Create a spectacle, dominate the headlines, then quietly move on once it stops working.
And let’s not forget – he still has a few cards left to play. Gaza, for instance, which he once dubbed the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Or the Iranian nuclear issue, another favorite of his unrealized “brilliant ideas.”
So no – I won’t say I’ve seen everything. If anything, recent events have taught me that with Trump, there’s always more madness just around the corner.
And the scariest part? Sometimes it works.
RT News
Vitaly Ryumshin is a journalist and political analyst
*The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.
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