White House says ‘DO NOT RETALIATE’ following Trump’s tariff pivot

Thursday, 10 April 2025

The White House has responded following Donald Trump’s pivot on tariffs.

“DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED,” it said in a statement on social media.

Trump announced a 90-day pause for counties hit by higher US tariffs on Thursday.

The White House has released a statement following Donald Trump’s dramatic change of policy on tariffs.

The US president announced a 90-day pause for counties hit by higher US tariffs on Thursday.

The pivot comes just hours after tariffs on around 60 US trading partners were about to come into effect in the largest shake-up of international trade in decades.

“DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED,” the White House said in a statement.

The post attracted over five million views in three hours and has prompted thousands of responses.

“8D chess. China is now isolated,” one user said.

“You sound like every abuser ever,” another replied.

“This administration literally speaks, acts, and thinks at the level of a 12 year old boy,” another user said.

Trump told CNBC he paused the higher tariffs because “you have to have flexibility” in policies.

“Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line,” he said.

“They were getting yippy, you know, they were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid, unlike these champions, because we have a big job to do.”

Trump told the BBC he was implementing a universal “lowered reciprocal tariff of 10%” while talks went on.

He also increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% and accused Beijing of a “lack of respect”.

The US president’s announcement of his tariff policy last week triggered market turmoil and trillions in losses globally.