White House leaves the world uncertain as Trump’s new tariffs approach

Less than an hour before the stock market closed on Monday, reporters gathered in the Oval Office for their only chance that day to ask President Donald Trump about the chaos caused by his tariff plans.

Were the new tariffs, set to begin on Wednesday, just a tactic to get better trade deals? Or were they part of a long-term goal to change the global economy?

Investors all over the world were hanging on Trump’s every word, but he didn’t offer much clarity.

“It can both be true,” he said. “There can be permanent tariffs, and there can also be negotiations.”

The stock market fell sharply. As foreign leaders and business executives seek clear direction, the White House is sending mixed signals while trying to achieve conflicting goals.

Advisors had tried to ease a days-long stock market decline by suggesting the tariffs were just a starting point for negotiations, which could calm Wall Street and worried Republicans in Congress. However, Trump continued to insist that the new tariffs would bring in hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue, and he showed no signs of backing down from a plan he has supported for decades, even before his presidency.

This ongoing uncertainty could damage confidence in Trump’s leadership both at home and internationally, especially after he promised a strong economy and tax cuts instead of concerns about recessions and shrinking retirement accounts. For now, with the tariffs set to take effect, there is no clear answer on what could be one of the biggest changes to international trade in decades.

When reporters asked Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, if he understood the White House’s plan, he replied with a question of his own — “Does anybody?”

As a result, the U.S. stock market has been highly volatile. The S&P 500 stock index initially went up on Tuesday morning, hoping for negotiations, but ended the day down 1.57% after the White House confirmed that the combined tariffs on China would reach 104% starting on Wednesday.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, called on the White House to “settle the situation.”

He said the “perception of whether or not there’s an end game is very important.” Tillis said he was “giving the administration the benefit of the doubt” for now but added, “you’ve got to get it done as quickly as you can get it done.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, criticized Trump for creating economic chaos with his back-and-forth over tariffs.

“Who makes long-term investments based on that?” she asked. “Who hires people and trains workers based on the hope that Donald Trump will not change his mind again and again and again?”

Trump claimed on Tuesday that “America’s going to be very rich again very soon” and said his team was negotiating with other countries.

“I call them tailored deals,” he said. “Not off the rack. Highly tailored deals.”

The administration has not yet clearly explained its goals for any trade talks, other than suggesting they could take months. They have also hinted that countries may need to overhaul their tax systems and regulations to meet Trump’s demands. Canadian and European officials are uncertain about how to move forward, even though Trump’s team claims that as many as 70 countries are interested in starting negotiations.

Trump insists he wants to fix the trade deficits, where the U.S. buys more from other countries than it sells to them. On Tuesday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social that he spoke with South Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, about their “tremendous and unsustainable” surplus.

“We have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries,” he wrote. “Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good.”

However, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would “eliminate the trade deficit with the United States,” Trump didn’t seem interested.

Asked if he would delay new tariffs on Israel, the president said, “maybe not.”

“Don’t forget, we help Israel a lot,” he said, referring to U.S. military aid.

Trump has long supported tariffs as a solution to economic challenges, and he has consistently believed that other countries are taking advantage of the U.S.

Last Thursday, while flying to Florida on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that “the tariffs give us great power to negotiate.”

On his return flight to Washington on Sunday, Trump described the tariffs as necessary and said he was not worried about the falling stock market, adding that “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”

Peter Navarro, a key trade advisor, has also been firm in his position.

“This is not a negotiation,” Navarro wrote in the Financial Times. “For the U.S., it is a national emergency triggered by trade deficits caused by a rigged system.”

But other officials like Kevin Hassett, the White House’s chief economic adviser, and Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, said many countries are eager to negotiate with Trump over tariffs.

“It’s going to be a busy April, May, maybe into June,” Bessent told Fox News. He said Trump “gave himself maximum negotiating leverage, and just when he achieved the maximum leverage, he’s willing to start talking.”

At the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, Stephen Miran, chairman of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, said the mixed signals about the tariffs reflected a “healthy” internal debate.

“There are conflicting narratives because everybody has got an opinion,” he said. “And that’s fine. Disagreement is how you can enhance your arguments and avoid groupthink, and I think that’s very healthy.”

As for whether any deals could be made before the tariffs begin, Miran said, “that choice will remain with the president.”

Michael Strain, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, said Trump’s goals are not compatible.

“These tariffs cannot both be an instrument to reshape the global trading order, to shift the U.S. economy away from services and toward manufacturing … and also be a tool to negotiate lower trade barriers,” he said.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, blamed Trump’s advisors for the confusion, saying some of them “just like to talk.”

“There’s some uncertainty about what the president’s objective is and I think that’s a product of some of his aides, who gave conflicting reports on TV this weekend,” he said.