Trump Turns Up the Heat on China With Bold Tariff Hike

President Donald Trump is doubling down on his effort to rebalance America’s trade relationship with China—announcing a steep increase in tariffs as part of his push to bring jobs and manufacturing back to U.S. soil.

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the world’s markets, I am hereby raising the tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social last Wednesday.

The announcement came just hours after new tariffs took effect on goods from nearly 90 countries, signaling a tougher approach to trade policy. While tariffs on other nations were temporarily paused for 90 days, Trump made clear that China wouldn’t get the same treatment.

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who was at the White House when Trump unveiled his plan, said the president’s strategy may surprise traditional free-market conservatives—but not Trump’s core supporters.

“I wasn’t against what Trump was saying, but I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s shocking that he said that. You can’t erect trade barriers.’ … It’s like all the childhood orthodoxies were still rattling around in my head,” Carlson told The Daily Signal.

A Shift Toward Economic Independence

Trump’s tariff plan marks a sharp pivot from decades of globalist trade policy that hollowed out American industry—particularly in blue-collar communities. The president’s focus now: break dependence on foreign supply chains, especially from nations like China.

“You have to be able to build a jet engine exclusively in the United States and not rely on supply chains 10,000 miles long or on countries that are hostile to you. I mean, that’s crazy. It’s just basic stuff. And we have the resources to do that,” Carlson said.

Though he’s not an economist, Carlson made it clear where things are headed.

“There’s going to be a disengagement from China,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t become a … total disengagement,” he added, “and I certainly hope there’s not a military conflict. I don’t think we’d win. Well, we wouldn’t win at this point. But there needs to be some kind of disengagement on trade.”

Fighting for American Workers

While critics warn about global backlash, some on Capitol Hill say Trump’s approach is long overdue—and necessary to revive the American working class.

“Missouri alone has lost 50,000 jobs to China,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted on X. “Trump is right to go after China.”

Trump’s strategy also includes room for diplomacy, with Carlson confirming the president is still open to negotiating with Beijing.

“Well, of course, he is,” Carlson said when asked about Trump’s willingness to negotiate. “I mean, the question is: Who needs the other more? Does the U.S. need China more or China need the U.S.? I can’t answer that.”

For three decades, the U.S.–China trade relationship has operated on a fragile give-and-take. “The deal has been for the past 30 years: We’ll buy your underpriced consumer goods; you buy our overpriced debt,” Carlson said. “And you know, in some ways that’s worked great. In other ways, it hasn’t worked at all.”

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