The Wall Street Journal‘s editorial board has again jabbed Donald Trump over his tariff policy, this time deriding the president for stepping back from taxing Canadian and Mexican imports at the last minute.
The newspaper’s Monday night editorial was headlined “Trump Blinks on North American Tariffs,” and began in a mocking tone.
“President Trump never admits a mistake, but he often changes his mind,” it started. “That’s the best way to read his decision Monday to pause his 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada after minor concessions from each country.”
The piece went on to call out Trump supporters for celebrating the deals he struck with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
After suggesting all three leaders could “claim victory,” the article later added, “None of this means the tariffs are some genius power play, as the Trump media chorus is boasting.”
On Monday, Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada as America’s two largest trading partners offered to take action on border security and drug trafficking.
The Journal has been critical of many of Trump’s moves in the early days of his second presidential term.
An editorial headline on Friday suggested Trump was engaging in “The Dumbest Trade War in History.”
The outlet said, with the exception of targeting China, Trump’s “justification for this economic assault on the neighbors makes no sense.”
The latest takedown comes in the aftermath of Rupert Murdoch, who owns the financial newspaper, visiting Trump on Monday in the Oval Office as he signed executive orders.
With the media mogul just feet away, the president was asked by a reporter to respond to last week’s editorial.
“Not only is it not dumb, you’re going to see every single one of those countries is dying to make a deal,” he said of his plan. “You know why? Because they’re ripping us off.”