Topics: Donald Trump, Tariffs, China, US News, World News, Money, Canada, Mexico, Joe Biden
Donald Trump has seemingly blamed himself for 'disgraceful' trade deals made with other countries.
The US President doesn't seem to be backing down on his plans to inflict reciprocal tariffs on countries around the world, even while in the midst of a 90-day pause on the policy.
On April 2, so-called 'Liberation Day', the POTUS announced a series of tariffs levied on foreign goods at various rates, with a baseline of 10 percent.
Speaking from the White House's Rose Garden, he said: "For decades our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered from nations, near and far, from both friend and foe alike."
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Trump claimed American workers have 'suffered gravely' and have been 'ripped off for 50 years' while taking aim at former presidents and past leaders who 'weren't doing their job'.
Now, however, eagle-eyed viewers have spotted the moment Trump appeared to blame himself for making the very trade deals that have apparently disadvantaged the country.
Recently speaking to reporters, the president said: "I don't blame any country, not the worst of them, and we were abused by countries.
"I blame the President of the United States that happened to be sitting when these deals were made. Disgraceful."
Yet, White House archives reveal it was in fact Trump who signed off on some of the deals during his first term as 45th President of the US between 2017 and 2021.
In December 2019, Trump reached a 'historic' agreement with China, announcing: "We have agreed to a very large Phase One Deal with China. They have agreed to many structural changes and massive purchases of Agricultural Product, Energy, and Manufactured Goods, plus much more."
The statement added that the US had made 'important progress towards rebalancing our trade relationship with China' that would 'greatly benefit both the American economy and the global economy as a whole'.
Well, if you've been following along with the tariffs fallout, you'll know relations are looking somewhat soured with China with tariffs hiked to 145 percent - and possibly 245 percent - while China snapped back by raising tariffs on US goods to 125 percent and warned global partners that they too could face repercussions if they strike their own deal with Trump.
But that's not all, as in January 2020 Trump also replaced the then 'outdated' North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The Trump administration celebrated the new deal as a 'tremendous victory' for workers, farmers, and manufacturers, saying that it brings trade relations with the two countries 'into the 21st century'.
While both Mexico and Canada were excluded from Trump's April 2 tariffs announcement, he had previously announced 25 percent tariffs on their goods - with an exemption to products covered by the USMCA - plus tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles.
Although Trump distances himself by blaming presidents over the decades, and reasserts the US had 'the most successful economy in the history of our country [in] my first term' due to his 'tough' trade policies, dozens have taken to Reddit to poke holes in Trump's argument that others are to blame for the disastrous deals.
"He's just trying to whitewash history and pin it on Biden," read one comment.
Another added: "I sincerely would like to hear a Trump's supporter's take on this, please. Please explain how Trump is correct here."
"Dementia Don forgets he is responsible for this mess," said a third.
A fourth concluded: "He might have forgotten, or he might be lying, but it doesn't matter because his base will absolutely assume it was Biden and/or Obama."
