By Sam Spade, Political Correspondent
Published: April 09, 2025
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump took the stage at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual fundraising dinner in Washington, D.C., delivering a bold 90-minute speech that underscored his confidence in his newly implemented tariff policies. With sweeping reciprocal tariffs kicking in just after midnight on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, Trump bragged that world leaders were scrambling to negotiate with him. “I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass,” he declared to the audience, claiming that nations were “dying to make a deal” to mitigate the impact of the levies.
The tariffs, which include a staggering 104% rate on Chinese imports and duties ranging from 11% to 50% on dozens of other countries, have sparked global economic turbulence. While Trump touted the measures as a triumph, asserting that the U.S. would soon be “very rich again,” markets worldwide continued to slide, with Asian stocks plummeting as the policies took effect. Despite the economic unrest and threats of retaliation from countries like China and Canada, Trump remained defiant, mocking foreign leaders with lines like, “Please, Sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything.”
The president also took aim at domestic critics, dismissing Republican lawmakers pushing for congressional oversight of his tariff strategy. “You don’t negotiate like I negotiate,” he quipped, rejecting proposals like Senator Chuck Grassley’s bill to require congressional approval for new tariffs. As delegations from Japan, South Korea, and even Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni prepare to plead their cases in the U.S., Trump’s brash rhetoric signals an unwavering commitment to his trade war, leaving the world watching—and, according to him, calling—to see what happens next.