That gust of wind you may have felt Wednesday afternoon was congressional Republicans exhaling after President Trump announced a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariffs while ratcheting up duties on China to 125%.
“I honestly think this is genius from Trump,” one senior congressional GOP aide told The Post following the announcement. “We still have a 10% universal tariff and 125% on China — and markets are booming.”
“He has so broken people’s brains that they’re basically celebrating over a global tariff and saying it’s him showing weakness,” added the source, noting that 10% baseline rates on most imports, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, are “still in place” and will likely “stay for the foreseeable future now.”
Trump’s announcement came just in time for House and Senate GOPers, who were due to head home later this week for a two-week recess coinciding with Passover and Easter.
The president, 78, had boasted that “more than 75 countries” had called his administration seeking tailored deals against the onslaught of tariffs that took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that Trump was “exactly right to be standing up and fighting for reciprocity” and “focusing on China.”
“I urged President Trump to focus on two things,” Cruz said. “Focus on China. Focus on reciprocity. He did, and today’s announcement is terrific news.”
“Behold the ‘Art of the Deal,’” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) exulted. “President Trump has created leverage, brought MANY countries to the table, and will deliver for American workers, American manufacturers, and America’s future!”
Johnson, 53, had publicly advocated for giving Trump space to use the tariffs for negotiating amid fears that the US was careening into an avoidable financial crisis.
“POTUS knows the art of the deal. He strengthened the United States’ negotiating power and has masterfully positioned American workers back on top. The days of the United States being ripped off by other nations are OVER,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) remarked, echoing Johnson’s language.
“ART OF THE DEAL,” added Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.).
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) who has been most publicly critical of the tariffs, suggested that “the marketplace has spooked” the White House.
“Hopefully there’ll be some people talking some sense into the policy and being less extreme,” Paul told a Business Insider reporter. “There should be a learning curve here. When you add a bunch of tariffs, you lose 6 trillion in the marketplace. When you get rid of the tariffs, guess what? It comes bounding back.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who co-sponsored legislation to claw back presidential power on tariffs, simply hailed the pause as “good news.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) — who had asked US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer “Whose throat do I get to choke if this proves to be wrong?” during a Tuesday hearing — said the pause was “the right decision.”
“We should focus on holding Communist China accountable for its IP theft, currency manipulation, and unfair trade practices,” Tillis said.
“President Trump’s Liberation Day was a masterclass in negotiation,” Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) cheered on X. “The world finally recognized that they have been taking advantage of American businesses & they must level the playing field for American businesses.
“China chose to retaliate, & they will pay the price!”
Meanwhile, Democrats overwhelmingly jeered the president’s action as flip-flopping in the face of global turmoil..
“TRUMP RETREATS ON TARIFFS BECAUSE OF TRUMP SLUMP,” chided Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“I guess no more liberation, folks,” jabbed Rep. Herb Conaway (D-NJ).
“OUR PLAN IS WORKING PERFECTLY AND IS JUST A NEGOTIATING TACTIC BUT IT IS ALSO GOING TO BE PERMANENT AND WE WILL BE THE WORLD LEADER IN TEXTILES AND NOW THERE IS A PAUSE AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO CHILL BUT ALSO WE WILL NEVER BACK DOWN AAAAAAHHHHHH,” mocked Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).
Markets began surged after Trump’s seismic announcement following one of the largest market sell-offs ever, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending the day up nearly 3,000 points.
Trump’s customized tariff rates are now slated to take effect on July 8.
