Trump asserts nations are ‘kissing my ass’ to secure tariff agreements

The President asserts that trade partners are urgently seeking exemptions as more significant tariffs are set to take effect on Wednesday. President Donald Trump has stated that numerous countries are eager to engage in trade negotiations with...

Trump asserts nations are ‘kissing my ass’ to secure tariff agreements
The President asserts that trade partners are urgently seeking exemptions as more significant tariffs are set to take effect on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump has stated that numerous countries are eager to engage in trade negotiations with the United States following the implementation of his extensive new tariffs. He boasts that foreign leaders are pleading for exemptions to mitigate the full effects of the levies.

During a National Republican Congressional Committee dinner on Tuesday night, Trump remarked that his administration is “doing very well” in initial discussions with nations already impacted by a baseline 10% tariff that was imposed last week, with many more facing even higher rates starting Wednesday.

“I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass,” Trump said. “They are dying to make a deal: ‘Please, please sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything, I’ll do anything sir.’”

The administration has previously indicated that nearly 70 countries are seeking negotiations to lessen the tariffs' impact, as Trump advocates for tailored agreements with individual nations. “I call them tailored deals, not off the rack,” he had stated earlier on Tuesday during an executive order signing at the White House.

Trump also expressed confidence in the effectiveness of his tariff strategy, predicting it would enhance Republican prospects in the 2026 midterm elections, despite critics who argue that the tariffs are negatively affecting American consumers and investors. He also criticized GOP lawmakers who backed bipartisan initiatives to limit his ability to apply tariffs beyond 60 days without Congressional consent.

“We’re going to win the midterm elections, and we’re going to have a tremendous, thundering landslide,” Trump informed Republican lawmakers and donors. “And I really think we’re helped a lot by the tariff situation that’s going on, which is a good situation… it’s going to be legendary, you watch.”

These comments from the president come just as his administration prepares to implement higher import duties, including a substantial 104% tariff on Chinese products. This policy, which becomes fully effective on Wednesday, is part of Trump’s larger “reciprocal” trade agenda aimed at Pressuring countries with significant trade surpluses for better terms with the U.S.

The White House claims that these tariffs are meant to address enduring trade imbalances and revitalize domestic manufacturing. Trump maintains that these measures are already yielding benefits for the U.S. economy, asserting that the nation is generating $2 billion a day in tariff revenue.

Allen M Lee for TROIB News

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