Trump tariffs live updates: Stocks decline again on tariff uncertainty; Supreme Court rules in Alien Enemies Act deportation case
What Trump and his administration have said about the tariffs policy currently roiling global markets
Trump has proposed sweeping tariffs targeting U.S. trading partners, including a 10% across-the-board baseline tariff that went into effect Saturday.
In response, investors have initiated a massive stock sell-off amid fears that the scale of what Trump has proposed threatens to remake the world economic order — and weaken overall global output, including growth in the U.S.
But Trump and other White House officials have shown no sign they will back off from the proposal, which includes duties of more than 40% on some nations — and with 104% threatened on China.
Below are recent comments from senior administration officials making the case for the duties.
Trump holds firm on tariffs as the White House looks for ways to calm nervous allies
Trump sees an opportunity to “change the fabric” of the United States with his sprawling plan to institute new global tariffs — a policy that has had markets shaking for days while cracks form in his political coalition.
But even as Trump, administration officials and key allies say he will not back down from his tariff plan, they are looking for ways to ease the concerns of wary supporters. The measures include talking up the potential to cut deals with key trading partners, pointing to tax cuts as a way to balance out the economic hit and deploying officials to speak to jittery business groups.
“The feeling among Hill Republicans is we’ve got to get rolling on the tax cuts right now,” a senior Senate Republican aide said. “We have to offer some candy to the business community in terms of offering them certainty and helping with pro-growth policies.”
Two administration officials confirmed that members of the administration were taking calls from business groups and setting up private meetings to allay worries.
American Library Association sues Trump over dismantling of agency that funds libraries
The American Library Association sued the Trump administration over the gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and requested that it be reinstated.
“Libraries play an important role in our democracy, from preserving history to providing access to government information, advancing literacy and civic engagement, and offering access to a variety of perspectives,” American Library Association President Cindy Hohl said in a statement.
“These values are worth defending. We will not allow extremists to threaten our democracy by eliminating programs at IMLS and harming the children and communities who rely on libraries and the services and opportunities they provide,” she added.
The Institute of Museum and Library Sciences is a small agency that provides funding grants to libraries and museums across the country. It underwent funding cuts and mass layoffs as a result of Trump’s executive order last month titled “Continuing the reduction of the federal bureaucracy.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sets November special election for deep-blue House seat
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott today said he had selected Nov. 4 as the date for the special election to fill the House seat that had been occupied by Democrat Sylvester Turner, who died unexpectedly last month.
The decision means the deep-blue, Houston-based congressional seat will be vacant for roughly eight months.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other Democrats had accused Abbott of deliberately delaying calling the special election to help pad the GOP’s tiny majority in the House. Republicans hold just a 220-213 advantage over Democrats in the House, meaning Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford only three GOP defections on any vote.
But in a statement today, Abbott pointed the finger at Harris County, saying officials there do a poor job conducting elections.
Supreme Court gives boost to Trump administration’s deportation plans under Alien Enemies Act
The Supreme Court tonight threw out the order of a federal judge who had blocked the removal of men alleged to be members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador without any legal process under the Alien Enemies Act.
The 5-4 ruling essentially clears the path for the Trump administration to resume deportations under the rarely used wartime law, so long as detainees are given due process. That means they must be given time to challenge their detentions and make the administration prove the legality of their confinements.
“AEA detainees must receive notice after the date of this order that they are subject to removal under the Act. The notice must be afforded within a reasonable time and in such a manner as will allow them to actually seek habeas relief in the proper venue before such removal occurs,” the court wrote in its majority opinion.
The decision lifts orders issued by Washington-based U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who blocked the move on March 15, while litigation continues. The original lawsuit was filed by five Venezuelans, with Boasberg provisionally certifying it as a class action that applies to all Venezuelans in U.S. custody who are not U.S. citizens.
EPA to work with HHS on reviewing ‘new scientific information’ about fluoride in drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will “review new scientific information” about what it called possible health risks tied to adding fluoride to drinking water.
The review will be conducted in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the EPA said.
“Secretary Kennedy has long been at the forefront of this issue. His advocacy was instrumental in our decision to review fluoride exposure risks and we are committed to working alongside him, utilizing sound science as we advance our mission of protecting human health and the environment,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.
Kennedy told The Associated Press after a news conference in Salt Lake City this afternoon that he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention soon to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water across the country and that he is building a task force on the matter.
Trump says he’ll have his annual physical exam this week
Trump said on Truth Social this evening that he will get his annual physical exam Friday.
“I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” he wrote.
The exam is scheduled to take place at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Trump, 78, has been opaque in the past about his health, and he provided limited details about his physical fitness ahead of last year’s election. Democrats drew attention to the issue and his public vow to release his medical records before the election, which didn’t happen. He told NBC News in December that he had “no problem” with releasing his full medical reports.
Trump officials in ‘early stages’ of planning D.C. parade, mayor says
The Trump administration is in the “early stages” of planning a large-scale parade in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters today.
Bowser, a Democrat, was asked about a report in the Washington City Paper that said plans are underway for a military parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the Army on June 14 — which is both Flag Day and Trump’s 79th birthday.
The report cited a single anonymous source for the information, which NBC News has not confirmed. The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bowser said the Trump administration had “reached out” about an event.
“I don’t know if it’s been characterized as a military parade, but maybe it has. I haven’t been directly involved in it yet,” she said. “I think it was Homeland Security. Maybe the White House reached out to our Special Events Task Force, which is what most people wanting to do a parade do in the District. So I would say it’s at early stages.”
Sen. Ted Cruz says Trump’s tariffs could be ‘really bad for America’
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, ramped up his criticism of Trump’s tariffs today, saying they could end up being bad for both his home state and the country as a whole.
“The last I checked, we still have the income tax, and we have these tariffs. That’s just a ton more taxes. If you want to get rid of the income tax, then we can talk, but I don’t see anyone proposing getting rid of the income tax,” Cruz said on his podcast, “Verdict.”
“If the outcome from these tariffs is really high tariffs from every country on Earth against American goods and really high tariffs from America against goods from every other country on Earth, that is going to be really bad for Texas and really bad for America,” he added.
Cruz has previously criticized the tariffs, and he became one of the first Trump-allied Republican voices to do so. He argued last week that they would hurt American consumers.
Inside the mine housing the federal government’s retirement records, now in DOGE’s spotlight
Reporting from Boyers, Pennsylvania
As you ride in a golf cart into the mouth of the Iron Mountain limestone mine, the temperature change is immediately noticeable. The natural climate control provided by the rough-hewn stone walls of the decommissioned mine — a day’s drive from the nation’s capital and about an hour outside Pittsburgh — helped make it an ideal site for the federal government to process and store retirement records beginning in 1960.
Sixty-five years later, when so much is now done online, this mine is largely still how the Office of Personnel Management manages the documents of the 100,000 or so retirements from federal service each year.
Processing a retirement can take months, with a single missing signature sometimes setting the task back days or weeks.
“It is still done on paper,” said Alita Haniwalt, an OPM program manager in retirement claims. “I think it becomes overwhelming because there are no two retirements that are the same.”
Republican congressman John James announces bid for Michigan governor
Republican Rep. John James of Michigan announced today that he is running for governor as one of the most pivotal elections on the ballot in 2026 continues to draw big-name politicians.
In a message on his social media channels, James lamented Democratic governance in the state and argued that “it’s time to get Michigan’s government out of fantasyland and back to common sense.”
“Oue state has suffered long enough. Michigan is strong. Our people are strong. But we are being held back by a lack of strong, competent leadership,” he wrote.
Ahead of a potentially crowded primary, James signaled he would run as an ally of Trump, who narrowly won the state in 2016 and 2024 and lost there in 2020.
N.C. Supreme Court halts decision requiring verification of 65,000 votes in tight judicial race
The North Carolina Supreme Court today temporarily blocked a lower court’s ruling that would have required that more than 65,000 votes cast in the disputed 2024 state Supreme Court race be recounted and verified.
The two-sentence order prevents a ruling from Friday from going into effect so the court can review an appeal from the Democratic candidate.
The ruling is the latest development in a long and winding saga after a close finish in the Supreme Court race in November.
Democratic Justice Allison Riggs, who was appointed in 2023, emerged after Election Day narrowly ahead of Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin, a state appeals court judge, triggering a series of recounts.
Elon Musk’s brother, Kimbal, slams Trump over tariffs
Elon Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk, sharply criticized Trump today over Trump’s tariff policies.
“Who would have thought that Trump was actually the most high tax American President in generations,” Kimbal Musk wrote on X, the social media app owned by his more famous brother.
“Through his tariff strategy, Trump has implemented a structural, permanent tax on the American consumer,” he wrote.
Elon Musk has been subtler in his critiques. He posted a video earlier today of economist Milton Friedman advocating for free trade.
Stocks fall after day of wild swings as markets digest Trump’s tariff reality
Wall Street ended largely lower today after a wild trading day as Trump pressed forward with aggressive tariffs that have rocked the global economy, leaving investors unsure about what’s to come.
The S&P closed down 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial average fell 0.9%, or 350 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.1%, led by a rally in chipmaker Nvidia, which finished 3.5% higher.
Trump won’t rule out military action in Iran if talks aren’t successful
Trump declined to rule out military action in Iran if its talks with the United States aren’t successful.
“I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it — great danger,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
“If the talks aren’t successful, I think it’ll be a very bad day for Iran,” he added.
Trump doubles down again on U.S.’ taking control of Gaza
Trump again promoted the idea of taking control of the Gaza Strip, saying it could become “a freedom zone.”
“That’s a hell of a place. You know what I call it? A great location that no one wants to live in,” Trump said.
“I think it’s an incredible piece of important real estate. And I think it’s something that we would be involved in, but, you know, having a peace force like the United States there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip, would be a good thing,” he said.
Trump says the U.S. is having direct talks with Iran
Trump said the United States will have direct nuclear talks with Iran beginning Saturday. Iran had brushed off offers for direct talks with the United States in recent days.
Asked at what level the talks were happening, Trump said they were “very high-level” talks and that the United States would not use surrogates but that it would rather deal with Iran directly, adding that it would be in “Iran’s best interests” if the talks are successful.
“We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. It’ll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen. And I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with or, frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it,” Trump said.
Trump on mixed messaging on tariffs: ‘Both can be true’
Asked about mixed messaging from the administration about whether the tariffs are permanent or a negotiating tactic, Trump told reporters, “Both can be true.”
“There can be permanent tariffs and there can also be negotiations,” he said. “There are things we need beyond tariffs.”
Asked whether he was concerned that the tariffs could push other countries into making deals with China, Trump said, “I’m not worried.”
Congress will give Trump ‘the space’ to handle tariffs
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on his way to his Capitol office today that Congress would give Trump “the space necessary” to handle tariffs.
Asked about legislation aimed at giving Congress more authority over tariffs, he said, “Congress will weigh in on it with the president, with the administration in tandem.”
“I think we need to give the president the latitude, the runway to do what it is he was elected to do,” Johnson said. “That is, get this economy going again and get our trade properly balanced with other countries.”
He added that “most of the American people understand the necessity of that.”
Asked whether the White House should brief members of Congress on tariffs, Johnson said the Trump administration is “engaged with members and we’ll have answers.”
Treasury secretary says White House will ‘open negotiations’ on trade with Japan
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said today that he would begin trade negotiations with Japan.
Bessent said Monday afternoon on X that he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would “open negotiations” with Japanese Prime Minister Shigero Ishiba and his Cabinet “to implement the President’s vision for the new Golden Age of Global Trade.”
Bessent linked to a post in which Trump said earlier in the day that he was hearing from “countries from all over the world” and that he had specifically spoken with Japan’s prime minister, who was sending “a top team” to negotiate.
Ishiba said earlier today that he told Trump on the call that he was “deeply concerned” the U.S. tariffs “will reduce the investment capacity of Japanese companies.”
China tariffs would equal 104% if Trump follows through with latest threat
With Trump’s latest threat of 50% duties on imports from China, the total new tariffs he imposed on goods imported into the United States from China would be as much as 104%.
It’s the sum of the 50% plus two rounds of 10% tariffs Trump has already imposed in response to China’s alleged inaction on curbing the flow of fentanyl, plus the 10% all-nations baseline tariff that kicked in Saturday and the 24% tit-for-tat tariff that would kick in Wednesday.
The 104% tariff does not include pre-existing tariffs on certain items that Trump imposed during his first term and the Biden administration largely kept or the 25% tariff Trump seeks to impose on nations doing business with Venezuela.
Trump threats veto of Senate bill to limit his power on tariffs
The White House is threatening to veto a bipartisan Senate bill that would limit Trump’s power to impose tariffs, saying it would “severely constrain the President’s ability to use authorities long recognized by Congress and upheld by the courts to respond to national emergencies and foreign threats.”
The bill would require the president to notify Cabout of new tariffs within 48 hours of imposition while providing his reasons and an analysis of the impacts on U.S. consumers and businesses. Then Congress would have 60 days to approve it. If that didn’t happen, the tariffs would expire.
The legislation, called the Trade Review Act of 2025, was introduced by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. It has picked up six more GOP co-sponsors: Jerry Moran, of Kansas; Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska; Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky; Thom Tillis, of North Carolina; Todd Young, of Indiana; and Susan Collins, of Maine.
White House removes Netanyahu’s news conference from the schedule
The White House has canceled a planned news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon, with Trump instead planning to take questions from reporters in the Oval Office.
The news conference in the East Room was scheduled to occur following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders. Now, a smaller group of reporters, known as the “pool” and assigned to cover the president’s movements each day, will have an opportunity to ask questions.
It is typical for Trump to hold both an informal Q&A in the Oval Office and a formal news conference when world leaders visit.
Trump, greeting Netanyahu at the White House moments ago, ignored multiple questions from the pool about his sweeping new tariffs, the market turmoil that has followed his announcement and the war in Gaza. He told reporters yesterday that he expects to discuss trade and the situation in the Middle East with the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu arrives at White House
Netanyahu has arrived at the White House, where he was greeted outside by Trump. Trump ignored shouted questions from a reporter as the two men went inside.
Facing mounting pressure over the economy, Trump is not backing down, calling his global tariffs a “beautiful thing to behold” and arguing he’s fulfilling a campaign promise to bring back American jobs. It comes as he draws new backlash for spending days on the golf course as stock markets take a nosedive and 401(k)s plummet. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports for TODAY.
Anxious Republicans seek more guidance from White House on Trump’s tariffs
Some congressional Republicans are growing anxious about the markets and want more guidance from the White House about Trump’s long-term trade strategy.
During a House GOP conference call yesterday, Rep. Darrell Issa, of California, asked if lawmakers could receive a detailed briefing from the White House about Trump’s tariffs, according to two sources on the call.
Rep. French Hill, of Arkansas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the Trump administration has been great to work with on a whole host of issues, but has been frustrated when it comes to how the White House has operated on tariffs, the sources said.
Trump orders new review of Japanese steelmaker’s bid for U.S. Steel
Trump ordered a new review of a Japanese steelmaker’s $15 billion proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, raising hopes that the deal could be revived after former President Joe Biden blocked it in January on national security grounds.
Biden’s order prohibiting the acquisition by Nippon Steel, Japan’s largest steelmaker, gave Trump the right to review the decision. In a White House memo today, Trump directed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which examines foreign investments for national security risks, to review the proposal within 45 days “to assist me in determining whether further action in this matter may be appropriate.”
Both Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have sued CFIUS over the blocking of the deal, saying it did not receive fair consideration as Biden sought support in his re-election campaign from the United Steelworkers union in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where U.S. Steel is based. Trump had also expressed opposition to the deal.
The share price of U.S. Steel up rose more than 13% after news of the deadline extension, Reuters reported.
DOJ asks Supreme Court to act in case of mistakenly deported man
The Justice Department today asked the Supreme Court to stay a judge’s ruling ordering it to bring back to the U.S. a man it acknowledges it mistakenly sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
In an emergency application to the high court, the DOJ argued U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’ directive that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be returned by midnight tonight “unprecedented and indefensible” and “patently unlawful.”
“The United States’ negotiations with a foreign sovereign should not be put on a judicially mandated clock, least of all when matters of foreign terrorism and national security are at stake,” they write.
Senate hearing with potential testimony from RFK Jr. on HHS layoffs postponed
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is postponing a hearing it hoped would feature Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony after thousands of health agency workers were fired, a spokesperson for the committee’s chair, Bill Cassidy, R-La., said today.
Last week, Cassidy and committee ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., wrote a letter to Kennedy inviting him to publicly testify about the mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services last Tuesday. But the committee is required to give public notice of a hearing at least seven days in advance, meaning it would have needed to release an official notice last Thursday, a Cassidy spokesperson, Ty Bofferding, said.
Kennedy’s team has confirmed that it received the invitation to testify, Bofferding said, but hasn’t provided an official response on whether the health secretary would do so at some point.
Both sides are working to find a date for testimony that would work. Bofferding did not respond to a request for comment on when the new hearing date might be. Cassidy has said that Kennedy agreed to come before the health committee “on a quarterly basis.”
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.
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
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.
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
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.
U.S. revoking visas of all South Sudanese nationals, State Dept. says
The U.S. is revoking the visas of all South Sudanese passport holders in the country, the State Department said, at a time when the East African nation is at risk of returning to civil war.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed that the decision was made after South Sudan refused “to accept one of their nationals certified by their own Embassy in Washington and repatriated to their country.”
“Effective immediately, all visa appointments are cancelled, no new visas will be issued, no existing visas will be effective, and hence NO ONE from South Sudan will be entering the United States on a visa until this matter is resolved,” he said in a post on X.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move on Saturday, saying, “It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States.”
“Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States,” he said in a statement. “Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them.”
Trump says China could get tariff relief if it approves TikTok deal
Reporting from Hong Kong
China could get a reduction in tariffs if it approves a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations, Trump says.
“If I gave a little cut in tariffs, they’d approve that deal in 15 minutes, which shows you the power of tariffs,” he told reporters on Air Force One yesterday.
Trump confirmed reports that China and the U.S. had been “pretty close” to a deal on the short-video app, but that Beijing backed out due to the additional 34% tariff he announced on Chinese goods last week. On Friday, Trump extended the deadline by 75 days for TikTok’s China-based owner, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing today that China would handle any TikTok sale “in accordance with its laws and regulations.” He urged the U.S. to provide an “open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory business environment” for Chinese firms in the U.S.
Malaysia vows united Southeast Asian response to U.S. tariffs
Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will seek a consensus among the bloc’s 10 member states in response to Trump’s new tariffs, its prime minister said.
Malaysia “will continue to coordinate efforts to present a united regional front, maintain open and resilient supply chains,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a video yesterday.
Anwar denied Trump’s claim that Malaysia imposes a 47% tariff on U.S. imports, which he used to justify a 24% tariff on Malaysian goods. But he said Malaysia would not retaliate until it resolved detailed issues with the U.S. and consulted with ASEAN members.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, whose city-state was hit by a baseline 10% tariff, said on Facebook last week that it is now “more important than ever” for ASEAN neighbors to strengthen cooperation and solidarity.
Trump urges people not to be ‘weak’ or ‘stupid’ as markets fall
Trump continued defending his policies this morning amid a stock market rout being felt around the world over his tariffs, telling people in a social media post to not be “weak” or “stupid.”
“The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid! Don’t be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!),” he wrote, an apparent play on the word “panic.”
“Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!” he continued.
Later, Trump posted a Fox Business clip to Truth Social, quoting in the caption, “President Trump is not going to bend.”
Musk posts video of Milton Friedman, prominent free trade advocate
Elon Musk posted a clip early this morning of economist Milton Friedman explaining how international trade makes it possible to make a pencil — effectively an argument in favor of free trade.
Musk’s post about Friedman, who was a prominent free trade advocate, appeared to indicate a break with Trump on tariff policies, which restrict the free market. Musk, a business tycoon, recently argued in favor of “zero-tariff situation” between the U.S. and Europe.
In the video, Friedman explained how different parts of a pencil likely originated from countries around the world.
“Literally thousands of people cooperated to make this pencil, people who don’t speak the same language, who practice different religions, who might hate one another if they ever met,” Friedman said.
Appeals court orders 2 former officials fired by Trump to be reinstated to independent boards
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered the reinstatement this morning of Cathy Harris to the Merit Systems Protection Board and Gwynne Wilcox to the National Labor Relations Board.
The Trump administration had fired both of them, but the court says they can return to their roles after a review of the full court.
A judge had said that Trump lacked the authority to freely fire members of the NLRB, including Wilcox, who is the first Black woman to serve on the board.
Both Harris and Wilcox were appointed by Biden to the independent boards.
Hong Kong stock market sees biggest drop since 1997
Reporting from Hong Kong
Stocks in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong suffered their largest single-day decline in nearly three decades today after China responded to Trump’s additional 34% tariff on Chinese and Hong Kong goods with the same levy on U.S. imports.
The Asian financial hub’s benchmark Hang Seng Index plunged 13.2%, the biggest one-day drop since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The market closed at 19,828.30, the lowest level since Jan. 23.
Mainland Chinese stocks also fell as markets returned after a public holiday Friday, leading the government to intervene to help stocks find a floor.
Despite the stock market loss, the Hong Kong dollar — which is pegged to the U.S. dollar — remains strong and its financial system is stable, Financial Secretary Paul Chan told reporters.
Chan has criticized the U.S. tariffs as “bullying” and “unreasonable” but said Saturday that Hong Kong will not retaliate, remaining as a “free port.”
