[By Guancha Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

Just a few hours after the new tariff policy went into effect, on April 9 local time, U.S. President Trump suddenly announced a 90-day deferral for most countries to implement "reciprocal tariffs," retaining a so-called baseline tariff of 10% during this period. Upon hearing this news, U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer was stunned: like everyone else, this highest trade official of Trump had just learned about this major decision.

Ironically, while Trump was changing his orders day by day, Greer was sitting in the House hearing room on Wednesday afternoon, facing a collective barrage of criticism from Democrats, and strongly defending Trump's absurd tariff plan.

According to CNN reports, when Nevada Democratic Representative Steve Horsford asked Greer when he learned about Trump's latest tariff decision, the latter pursed his lips, somewhat embarrassedly answering, "Well, I learned about this decision just a few minutes ago."

On the afternoon of the 9th, U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer was questioned at the hearing. AP screenshot.

"WTF? Who is in charge? Clearly not the trade representative. It seems like you've just been thrown under the bus by your boss," Horsford angrily questioned. "He suspended the tariff policy. There was no strategy at all. You just found out about this three seconds ago. If you knew these tariffs would be suspended earlier, why didn't you mention it in your opening remarks? And why did you not even hint at it in your testimony?"

He pressed further, "What does this mean for your negotiation strategy? If the president can talk about this on X anytime, how are you supposed to carry out negotiation work?"

Greer then argued that he sensed the possibility of policy changes on Wednesday morning. But when directly asked if he had prior knowledge, Greer evaded the question, saying the government was discussing "various options."

Greer told Horsford that he would not reveal details of his conversations with the president. He also denied speculation that the Trump administration was attempting to manipulate the market.

California Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez also did not let Greer off the hook, bringing up a post on social media X by U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnik. Lutnik mentioned that he was present with Treasury Secretary Beasant when Trump made this announcement.

"We really don't know who is in control over there," Gomez said to Greer.

New York Democratic Representative Tom Suozzi also took a shot at Greer.

He said, "I think you're in a very difficult situation now. You came here today to testify, but the president suddenly changed his mind. Honestly, I feel sorry for you, but I feel even sorrier for the American people watching all this happen. There is absolutely no planning in this entire process."

In the hearing, Greer continued to argue that the U.S. trade deficit is an "emergency situation," and that Trump's historic reform of U.S. trade policy is necessary. However, he also stated that the president is still willing to negotiate with various countries, revealing that he has recently spoken with representatives from the EU, South Korea, Ecuador, and Mexico.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday afternoon, Trump admitted at a press conference at the White House that the decision to suspend the tariffs was determined during a meeting early that morning with Lutnik and Beasant.

Trump said, "I have to say, over the past few days, I have been thinking about this issue, consulting with Scott (Beasant), Howard (Lutnik), and some other very professional individuals. I think this decision was made quite early this morning, and then we wrote it down."

As usual, he began to boast, "It was written from the heart. I think it turned out pretty well, the key being sincerity. I believe this is very positive for the world and for our country. We don't want to harm countries that don't need to be harmed, and they all want to negotiate."

When speaking with CNN reporters, Trump refused to specify whether the poor performance of the stock market was the final factor that prompted him to change his stance on tariffs.

However, CNN cited three sources as saying that the severe situation of the accelerated decline in the U.S. Treasury market forced Beasant to directly report to Trump the Treasury Department's concerns about signs of distress in the Treasury market during the meeting that day, which was the "key factor" in Trump's change of attitude.

While Republicans collectively praised Trump's decision to suspend tariffs, calling it "the right move" and showcasing his classic "art of deal-making," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Trump administration for its "chaotic and childish" state, accusing Trump of lacking basic understanding of world affairs and "facts."

According to Fox News, Schumer bluntly stated, "We all know that Trump never plans things thoroughly... but on such important matters, such as the entire U.S. economy, the money in people's pockets, their livelihoods, yes, it's truly hard to put into words..."

British publication The Economist also issued a warning: although some investors breathed a sigh of relief due to the Trump administration pressing the pause button on tariffs, it must be reminded that Trump has only postponed, rather than completely terminated, his reciprocal tariffs.

"Looking back at Trump's erratic policies towards Canada and Mexico, we have every reason to believe that he may threaten to raise tariffs again before the 90-day deadline ends," the article further added. "Next time, investors may be more skeptical of his tough talk. But if this leads to a relatively calm market reaction, then Trump will have more room to continue applying additional pressure."

This article is an exclusive piece by Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491563002668302882/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Please express your opinion by voting "like/dislike" below.