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Trump Reveals His True Motive for the Tariffs - the World Must Grovel Before Him (Europe's Response) [1]
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Date: 2025-04-09
We all know — or should have known, since he never made any secret of it — that Trump loves him those tariffs. It’s about the only consistent position he’s taken in his adult life — other than seeing the world in binary “I win so you lose” terms, which is the basis of his tariff idea anyway. But last night at a meeting with a group of Republicans, Trump revealed his real reason behind those tariffs:
Trump embraces ‘tailored’ tariff deals as foreign leaders look to sweeten their offers
“These countries are calling us up. Kissing my a**. They are dying to make a deal,” Trump told a group of Republicans on Tuesday evening, hours before the tariffs were set to take hold. He described foreign leaders essentially groveling to avoid the new tariffs: “Please, please sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything sir.” [emphasis added]
That. Is. A. Quote.
Maybe it’s revenge for the time World leaders laugh as Trump boasts of his achievements at the UN. Certainly it’s the same attitude we saw when Trump literally pushe[d] his way to the front of the world stage at NATO summit. Whatever, CNN’s use of “groveling” was the perfect editorial comment.
They’re not groveling, however; quite the opposite. China Hits Back Again at Trump, Bringing New Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 84% (that’s from this morning, so it’s after Trump’s 104% slap on China went into effect.) A little while ago, EU greenlights over €20 billion in retaliatory tariffs against the US. And Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles kick in April 9.
Some groveling.
As with everything else Trump says and does, it’s all about him. His ego. His bottomless need to feel important, loved (or feared, at least), and perhaps last but definitely not least, to have everyone from law firms to universities to journalists to sovereign nations bow to him, grovel to him, beg the grace of his favor.
The madness of King Donald.
[Added a few minutes later] Jamelle Bouie has a similar explanation in the NYT (though he didn’t address the quote that triggered this diary): The Tariff Saga Is About One Thing:
The fundamental truth of Donald Trump is that he apparently cannot conceive of any relationship between individuals, peoples or states as anything other than a status game, a competition for dominance. His long history of scams, hostile litigation — not to mention his frequent refusal to pay contractors, lawyers, brokers and other people who were working for him — is evidence enough of the reality that a deal with Trump is less an agreement between equals than an opportunity for Trump to abuse and exploit the other party for his own benefit. . . . You could even say that this need to dominate — this overwhelming drive to show mastery — is constitutive of Trump’s self. There must be a loser or else there is no Trump.
Read Jamelle’s whole column; it’s right on target.
[PS] Trump’s insult has definitely made the European press: “Trump insulta e Meloni abbassa la testa”. Dal Pd a Iv, le reazioni delle opposizioni [Trump insults and [Italian Prime Minister] Meloni bows her head] From [left parties to right parties], the reaction of the opposition] [La Repubblica]
Il presidente Usa aveva irriso i leader stranieri preoccupati per i dazi: “Tutti in fila per baciarmi il culo”. [The US president had mocked foreign leaders worried about the tariffs: ‘They are all lining up to kiss my ass.’]
Trump brags world leaders are ‘kissing my a**’ and celebrates ‘great Hannibal Lecter’ at NRCC dinner [UK Independent]
Donald Trump boasts tariffs are making countries call him up to 'kiss a**' as he slaps China with 104% [UK MIrror]
Trump claims world is 'kissing my a**' as tariffs lock in amid stock market tumble [UK Express]
Even Moscow took note: "They kiss my ass." Trump made an unexpected statement [Pradva EN]
[END]
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