The Wall Street Journal’s right-leaning editorial team praised President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back his extensive tariffs on China on Monday, dismissing the White House’s portrayal of it as a triumph in an op-ed as “more of a surrender than a victory for Trump.”
“Rarely has a fiscal policy been so definitively rejected, and so swiftly, as President Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs—especially by Trump himself,” the newspaper wrote. The editorial board has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s trade strategies in his second term, particularly his use of tariffs.
The paper labeled Trump’s “harm-America-first approach” as a “tragedy,” noting that it has damaged his ability to unite other countries against China’s trade practices. “By imposing tariffs on allies, Trump has undermined confidence in America’s economic and political dependability,” they added.
However, the Journal pointed out a potential “silver lining” in the situation, noting that market pressures have compelled Trump to abandon his belief that high tariffs would bring about a new “golden age.” “That age didn’t even last two months, and it was far from golden,” the editorial stated.
As part of the agreement unveiled on Monday, China and the U.S. have agreed to halt the majority of tariffs for a period of 90 days. American tariffs on Chinese goods will decrease from 145% to 30%, while Chinese tariffs on U.S. products will drop from 125% to 10%.
