WASHINGTON — The idea of scaling back eye-watering “reciprocal” tariffs rattled around in President Trump’s head for several days after the April 2 announcement — even as he told staff and reporters he was willing to go full speed ahead.
Trump dramatically ordered a 90-day pause in imposing the higher rates on most countries Wednesday — hours after they took effect — claiming dozens of nations had pleaded for a reprieve to give them a chance to buy more US goods and eliminate trade barriers.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, one of Trump’s closest advisers, had nudged the president Sunday to use the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline to “lock these people in” to more advantageous trade relations, an administration official told The Post.
Bessent suggested that a golden opportunity lay before Trump to permanently reform and improve conditions for US companies that manufacture and export goods overseas.
A second source close to the administration described Bessent as advocating a “more measured approach” while “taking aim at China” — advice the president appeared to follow Wednesday by jacking up the reciprocal tariff against Beijing to 125% from an initial 34%.
Trump left in effect a 10% baseline tariff on most imports — as well as previously announced 25% levies on foreign-made cars, steel and aluminum.
Prior to Wednesday, the White House had messaged publicly that Trump would not change course — knocking down floated suggestions of a 90-day pause as “fake news” earlier this week — projecting a resolve that administration officials now say helped create maximum leverage with trading partners.
As late as 24 hours before the Wednesday afternoon announcement, sources told The Post, Trump had told members of his own staff that the reciprocal rates — including 17% on Israel, 20% on the European Union, 24% on Japan, 25% on South Korea, 26% on India, and 46% on Vietnam — would not be paused.
As a result, many of Trump’s own aides and top administration officials were caught off guard by the Wednesday pivot.
However, after Trump and Bessent’s Sunday chat, tightly held talks took place Monday morning about pausing all reciprocal duties other than those against China.
“What they’re going to end up doing is a pause for everyone except China and maybe a few others. For this to work, it has to be done in installments. You can’t write an entire book in a day. Chapter by chapter,” the source close to the White House predicted Monday morning.
The same source, who described the process as “art, not a science,” added Thursday: “There was always an understanding that [the administration] can pivot when needed. It’s like football: you call a play with understanding that [you] likely at times need to adjust and take what the defense gives you at the line of scrimmage.
“Start with broad sweeping action, make the mission clear. And then narrow it strategically to put pressure on Beijing. And send the message: If you don’t play ball, you’ll get the China treatment too.”
The treasury secretary confirmed to reporters Wednesday that he had spoken with Trump on Sunday but insisted that the pause was the president’s “strategy all along” and Trump made the decision on his own.
Trump told reporters Wednesday that he made up his mind to pause tariffs after he looked at the “queasy” bond markets and “yippy” critics.
He said he didn’t make the final decision until Wednesday morning, after which he sat down with Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and wrote a Truth Social post announcing the plan.
“I thought people were jumping a little bit out of line, they were getting yippy, you know, they were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid,” Trump said.
Shortly after, Trump added: “Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about it. I think it came together early this morning — fairly early this morning. Just wrote it up. We didn’t have access to lawyers. We wrote it up from our hearts.”
Trump has been the ultimate decider of the tariff strategy, from choosing the initial “Liberation Day” formula to Wednesday’s announcement in pursuit of one-on-one “tailor-made” deals with dozens of nations.
The president’s economic team, functioning more as a sounding board than advisers, had pitched Trump on several different formulas to use for his reciprocal tariff plan before he made the announcement in the White House Rose Garden, with some, like Bessent, advocating a more conservative, structured approach.