President Donald Trump complained to his aides about the lack of progress being made on trade deals as he was debating whether to push back his tariff deadlines yet again, according to a report.
The president announced on Monday he was imposing a new wave of 25- to 40-percent tariffs on products from more than a dozen countries—including key trading partners such as Japan and South Korea—unless those countries reach new trade deals with the U.S. by August 1.
A series of letters sent to world leaders pushed back a July 9 deadline that Trump had previously set for countries whose products were hit by his most aggressive “Liberation Day” tariffs announced in April.
Trump was tempted to let the tariffs take effect, but he spent the weekend on the phone with his aides and allies, who argued he should set a new deadline, the Wall Street Journal reported.
During the calls, he said he was frustrated the administration hadn’t made more progress on trade deals with other countries, the Journal reported. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said officials were making progress with India and the E.U. and could reach deals if they were given more time.
Originally, the president had promised to “liberate” America from trade deficits by striking 90 deals in 90 days, but so far only three countries have announced partial trade frameworks with the U.S.—the U.K., China, and Vietnam.
Trump blamed the other countries for failing to make offers that were good enough for the U.S., sources told the Journal.
He also told aides he was riding a wave of momentum from his “big beautiful” budget bill—which is wildly unpopular—and his strikes on Iran, whose effectiveness has been called into question. Trump said he wanted to keep up his supposed winning streak with victories on trade policy, according to the Journal.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
White House spokesman Kush Desai told the Journal that other countries were interested in lowering the tariff rates on their products but that the “United States, the world’s biggest and best consumer market, holds the cards and leverage in negotiations to unilaterally set deals with appropriate tariff rates for our trading partners.”
The tariffs are an import tax paid by American companies, with the costs typically passed on to consumers.
The letters Trump sent out on Monday left observers scratching their heads after the typo-ridden missives failed to shed much light on the administration’s trade goals.
“If you wish to open your heretofore closed trading markets to the United States, eliminate your tariff and non-tariff policies and trade barriers, we will perhaps consider an adjustment to this letter,” Trump wrote in near-identical notes to each leader.
“These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your country.”
Asked about the tariff deadlines over the weekend, Trump himself seemed to have no idea what was going on. At least one MAGA insider has said the tariff deadlines and announcements are all theatrics—a claim that the White House has denied.
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