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Why Trump Blinked on Tariffs Just Hours After They Went Into Effect
Wall Street Journal ^ | April 9, 2025 | Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey, and Meridith McGraw

Posted on 04/10/2025 4:50:40 AM PDT by karpov

President Trump finally blinked.

It took a week for the plunge in the stock and bond markets—along with a sustained campaign by executives, lawmakers, lobbyists and foreign leaders—to prompt Trump to roll back for 90 days a major element of his sweeping tariff plan.

The president said that the reaction to the tariffs was getting a bit “yippy”—like a nervous athlete unable to perform—and he relied on his instincts to change course as he watched the bond market tank and listened to business leaders including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon express fears of a recession. The episode was classic Trump: He took a drastic action, closely tracked the reaction, kept advisers and allies guessing and then changed course.

In this case, the extraordinary reversal was announced via Trump’s social-media platform just hours after so-called reciprocal tariffs officially went into effect. He tapped out the post in the Oval Office as he sat with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Trump also significantly raised tariffs on China.

Shortly after Trump published his post, as markets rose, Bessent stood outside the entrance to the West Wing and explained that the move to pause some of the tariffs was discussed Sunday when the two men met. “He and I had a long talk,” Bessent said before a crowd of reporters. “This was his strategy all along.”

Bessent was flooded with worried calls from Wall Street over the weekend and felt strongly he had to persuade Trump that a pause was needed. It wouldn’t be a capitulation, Bessent argued, because they were going to have so many deals.

He revealed little publicly about why the president and his team waited until Wednesday afternoon to enact it, with Trump saying that he decided on the move Wednesday morning.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: annielinskey; christophersteele; fakenews; fusiongps; joshdawsey; meridithmcgraw; nevertrumpingtroll; rinorag; tariffs; wallstreeturinal; wsj; wsjsedition; zot
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1 posted on 04/10/2025 4:50:40 AM PDT by karpov
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To: karpov

The Wall Street Journal ...


2 posted on 04/10/2025 4:55:07 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: karpov

Some people don’t know the difference between a wink and a blink.


3 posted on 04/10/2025 4:57:57 AM PDT by Inquiring Minds
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To: karpov

Propaganda from rag whose globalist ideology is in its death throes.


4 posted on 04/10/2025 5:00:05 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: karpov

Blinked? Trump and the US have China right where we want them... between a rock and a hard place.


5 posted on 04/10/2025 5:01:43 AM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: karpov

What a twisted way of looking at this. Trump got exactly what he wanted. He’s now in negotiations, making deals, reducing tariffs around the world that have been harming the US. And he has very effectively isolated China and got other countries to join him in that. Everything is going to be different — and better. Big win for Trump. But ... you know ... I guess he “blinked”.


6 posted on 04/10/2025 5:02:23 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: SaveFerris

What a rag, easily as bad as the NYTs or MSNBC.


7 posted on 04/10/2025 5:03:11 AM PDT by hardspunned (Look for the“Putin Stooge” libel, news from Ukraine you’ve gradually grown to trust over 36 months)
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To: karpov
The 10% across the board tariff is still in effect.

WS Urinal is the enemy of the people. Treat what they say accordingly.

8 posted on 04/10/2025 5:04:05 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: karpov

The WSJ is decidedly TDS.


9 posted on 04/10/2025 5:04:25 AM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)
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To: hardspunned

Yeah


10 posted on 04/10/2025 5:04:42 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: Mr. Mojo

I originally typed “Uniparty Propaganda”


11 posted on 04/10/2025 5:07:15 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: karpov

He didn’t blink


12 posted on 04/10/2025 5:07:27 AM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: karpov

Corrective measures.


13 posted on 04/10/2025 5:11:05 AM PDT by period end of story (Unvaxxed for my protection.)
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To: karpov

The WSJ is now even emulating their left wing newspaper colleagues in having multiple people writing a hit piece on Trump.


14 posted on 04/10/2025 5:16:38 AM PDT by dowcaet
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To: SaveFerris
Meanwhile in Peking surgery to keep Xi Jinping's eyes from blinking continuously was completed.

After surgery Xi reportedly demanded to know the meaning of a word from an ancient Chinese dialect. Know one in the CCP Poliburo knew the origins or meaning of FAFO .

15 posted on 04/10/2025 5:17:23 AM PDT by hflynn
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To: karpov

What we have here is a failure to communicate

The WSJ failed to comprehend the process of world trade and tried to place the Trump tariff process in the irrelevant ordinary WSJ shoe box they report every day.


16 posted on 04/10/2025 5:18:02 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Where is ZORRO when California so desperately needs him?)
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To: karpov

Wall Street Urinal.


17 posted on 04/10/2025 5:20:08 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts )
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To: karpov

The left trying to spin a Trump surrender- is anybody fooled? It is almost comical how they are trying to gain the narrative.


18 posted on 04/10/2025 5:21:26 AM PDT by dgbrown
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To: karpov

The way I see it. Trump saw the market dropping and issued the 90 delay. He now has time to negotiate with the countries that have been calling him. Trump wins again.


19 posted on 04/10/2025 5:22:09 AM PDT by IC Ken (If the government can just print Money why do I have to pay taxes?)
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To: Inquiring Minds

Donald Trump does not “blink” at any time. He is merely negotiating, in his own style.

It is called “getting the other guy to ‘Yes’”. But sometimes it is like watching sausage being made.

Donald Trump has been unusually transparent in how he negotiates, but some folks are still aghast while watching.

Now is not the time to go all wobbly.


20 posted on 04/10/2025 5:22:14 AM PDT by alloysteel ( Divergence is not at all the same thing as diversity.)
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