During a dinner hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Tuesday evening in Washington, President Donald Trump presented himself in his usual confident manner. In his speech, Trump claimed that US trade partners are desperately begging for current negotiations, referring to the new worldwide tariffs that will take effect on Wednesday. The US President worded it as “these countries” kissing his “ass” to convince him to change his mind.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that dozens of countries would be eager to negotiate trade deals with the United States after the new tariffs. During the speech in Washington, Trump presented the anecdotal formulation that foreign heads of state are begging for exemptions to avoid the full impact of the tariffs. He stated, “These countries are calling us. They’re kissing my ass. They’re burning to make a deal. Please, please, sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything, sir.”
At the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) so-called “March Dinner” event, Trump informed the attendees in the room that his administration is making “very good” progress in negotiations with countries that were already hit with a 10% base tariff last week. Additionally, dozens of other countries will face even higher tariffs starting from Wednesday. Since midnight American time (6:01 AM MESZ), several countries have faced significantly higher duties, especially those with a “particularly high trade deficit” with the US, according to government officials.
The hardest hit is the trade powerhouse China, which must now pay tariffs of 104%. After announcing the first tariff hikes of 34% and further 50% in the past week, Beijing responded with tariffs of the same 34% that will apply to US goods starting from Thursday. For EU countries, new tariffs of 20% have been in effect since midnight. Prior to that, 25% tariffs on US imports of steel and aluminum from Europe had already been imposed in mid-March.
The Trump administration had previously stated that almost 70 countries had sought negotiations to mitigate the impact of the tariffs, as Trump is pressing for customized agreements with individual countries. “I call them customized agreements, not off-the-shelf” Trump said on Tuesday in the Oval Office during a ceremony at the White House for the signing of an implementing regulation.
Trump also claimed in front of journalists that his tariff strategy is working well to bolster the Republicans’ chances in the 2026 midterm elections – and rebuffed critics who claim that the tariffs will backfire on US consumers and investors. He also targeted Republican lawmakers who support bipartisan efforts to limit the president’s authority to impose tariffs beyond 60 days without congressional approval. At the banquet, Trump made a prediction:
“We will win the midterms and we will experience a massive, thunderous landslide. And I really believe that the current tariff situation, which is a good situation, will greatly help us. It will be legendary, they will see.”
The White House has repeatedly stated that the tariff hikes aim to address long-standing trade imbalances and stimulate domestic production. Trump insists that the measures are benefiting the US economy and claims that the country is earning $2 billion in tariff revenues daily.
More on the topic – The World Fears an Influx of Cheap Chinese Goods Due to New US Tariffs.