Former President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would temporarily suspend his planned imposition of a 50% tariff on the European Union (EU), following a request from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated that von der Leyen had contacted him seeking an extension on the June 1 deadline for the tariffs. Trump agreed to extend the deadline to July 9, 2025, and indicated that trade negotiations between the U.S. and the EU would resume promptly.
“I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union,” Trump wrote. “I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The announcement drew immediate reactions across the political spectrum, with some critics questioning the consistency of Trump’s trade policies.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy mocked the perceived back-and-forth nature of the tariff threats, tweeting, “The tariffs are on and it’s a different % per country because of a formula I made up wait but now they’re off for everyone but China oh but now back on! and we are writing letters to tell them the % oh no now it’s 50% on Europe wait now no tariffs on Europe btw. What a joke.”
Economist Justin Wolfers also weighed in with a sarcastic remark regarding the EU tariff timeline, noting, “Friday’s EU tariff announcement lasted nearly the whole weekend, or 18% of a Scaramucci,” referring to the brief tenure of former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci.
Wolfers further criticized the lack of firm deadlines, stating, “One of the things I’ve learned to do as a teacher is to think about realistic deadlines in advance, then put them on the syllabus, and stand by them. I like to give my students some predictability, and a sense that I take my commitments seriously and expect them to do the same.”
Author James Surowiecki was blunt in his assessment: “Trump backs down from his threat to impose a 50% tariff on the EU. What a clown this guy is.”
Republican critics echoed similar sentiments, with one group commenting, “Trump backs down from his EU tariff threat. Again. What a clown show.”
As the July 9 deadline approaches, attention now turns to whether trade talks between the U.S. and the EU will produce a lasting resolution or whether tariff threats will resurface.
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