‘Settled seven wars…because of trade’: Trump justifies tariff policy again, says it gives US a ‘great negotiation ability’

WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump, in yet another display of his grandiose posturing, has taken to the stage to defend his tariff policy, this time dubbing it the ultimate ‘war settler’ while claiming it hands Washington a ‘great negotiation ability’.

Speaking to reporters as he announced the move of the US Space Command headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama, Trump on Tuesday (local time) touted tariffs as a magical negotiating tool, claiming that tariffs not only boosted the US economy but also helped him “settle seven wars”.

He conveniently ignored the economic frictions he has created with certain countries at the global level while taking yet another swipe at the Biden administration in a bid to keep the shine on his tariff policy.

“Without the United States, everything in the world would die. It’s true. It’s so powerful. It’s so big. And I made it really big in the first four years. Then it started to degenerate with what this Biden administration did. But we’ve built it up to a level that I never thought we could be at this quickly. We’re the hottest. We’re the best. We’re the best financially. The money coming in is so big because of tariffs and other things, but because of tariffs.Tariff gets us even those other things. Plus, it makes us great negotiators,” the US President declared.

“I settled seven wars and numerous of those wars were because of trade. And numerous of the trade deals that I made were because of tariffs. It gives you a great negotiating ability,” he added.

Trump has also justified the 50 per cent tariffs imposed on Indian imports, claiming that the business ties between the two nations had been “one-sided” for many years, while stating that New Delhi was getting along with Washington “very well”.

Responding to queries about reconsidering the tariffs on India at the White House, Trump claimed that New Delhi had been charging the US some of the highest tariffs in the world, creating an imbalanced trade scenario.

“We get along with India very well. But India, for many years, it was a one-sided relationship… India was charging us tremendous tariffs. They were the highest in the world… And we, therefore, were not doing business with India, but they were doing business with us because we weren’t charging them foolishly… So they sent in everything they made and poured it into the country… But we would not send in anything, as they were charging us with 100 per cent tariffs,” the US President said.

He gave the example of the American motorcycle company Harley Davidson, highlighting the challenges faced by it due to what he claimed was a 200 per cent tariff on motorcycles imported into India.

“Harley Davidson couldn’t sell in India, as there was a 200 per cent tariff on a motorcycle… Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don’t have to pay tariffs,” he added.

New Delhi is facing global uncertainties due to heightened economic tensions following the US imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, which was supplemented by an additional 25 per cent due to its purchase of Russian crude oil. (ANI)