President Trump hits back at Elon Musk's ‘ridiculous' America Party plans
'I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,' Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday.
'He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States - The System seems not designed for them.' Earlier on Sunday, Trump told reporters Musk's plan was 'ridiculous' and touted the 'tremendous success' of the Republicans.
Musk said on Saturday that he had decided to form his own US political party, naming it 'America Party.' (DPA)
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Agencies U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war on Monday by informing 14 nations, from powerhouse suppliers and allies such as Japan and South Korea to minor trade players, that they now face mostly sharply higher tariffs from a new deadline of Aug. 1. The imposition of levies starting at 25% on U.S. imports rattled Wall Street, with the S&P 500 Index falling sharply, although markets in Asia were taking the news in their stride. In letters so far to 14 countries, Trump hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations, even while warning that reprisals would draw a like-for-like response. 'If, for any reason, you decide to raise your tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on to the 25% that we charge,' Trump told Japan and South Korea in letters released on his Truth Social platform. The higher tariffs take effect from Aug. 1, and notably will not combine with previously announced sectoral tariffs, such as those on automobiles and steel and aluminum. Countries have been under pressure to conclude deals with the U.S. after Trump unleashed a global trade war in April that roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their executive order on Monday extends to Aug. 1 the Wednesday deadline for negotiations. Asked if the deadline was firm, Trump replied, 'I would say firm, but not 100% firm. If they call up and they say we'd like to do something a different way, we're going to be open to that.' It was unfortunate that Trump was hiking tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea, two of the closest U.S. allies, but there was still time for a breakthrough in negotiations, said former U.S. trade negotiator Wendy Cutler. 'While the news is disappointing, it does not mean the game is over,' added Cutler, the vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. Trump said the U.S. would impose tariffs of 25% on goods from Tunisia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, with levies of 30% on South Africa, Bosnia-Herzegovina, climbing to 32% on Indonesia, 35% on Serbia and Bangladesh, 36% on Cambodia and Thailand and 40% on Laos and Myanmar. A deal with India was close, Trump added. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said some progress had been made on avoiding higher tariffs, of up to 35%, that Trump had suggested recently. 'We have received a proposal from the United States to swiftly proceed with negotiations towards the newly set August 1 deadline, and that, depending on Japan's response, the content of the letter could be revised,' Ishiba told a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. South Korea said it planned to step up trade talks with the United States, and that exemptions or reductions in auto and steel tariffs must be included in any trade deal. Thailand said it was confident it could get a competitive tariff similar to those in other countries. In neighboring Malaysia, the trade ministry said it acknowledged U.S. concerns on trade imbalances and market access, while believing that constructive engagement and dialogue remained the best path forward. In Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, an official said Jakarta still had room to negotiate on tariffs, and its top negotiator would meet U.S. trade representatives in Washington. A Bangladesh team in Washington was scheduled to have further trade talks on Wednesday, an official said. The U.S. is the main export market for Bangladesh's readymade garments industry, which accounts for more than 80% of its export earnings and employs 4 million people. 'This is absolutely shocking news for us,' Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told Reuters on Tuesday. 'We were really hoping the tariffs would be somewhere between 10-20%. This will hurt our industry badly.' South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the 30% U.S. tariff rate was unjustified, since 77% of U.S. goods face no tariffs in his country. Ramaphosa's spokesperson said his government would continue to engage with the U.S. U.S. stocks fell in response to Monday's news, with the S&P closing down about 0.8%, although Asian share markets were mostly resilient, with Japan's Nikkei recouping early losses and South Korean stocks jumping 1.8%. 'There's going to be a lot of volatility as the headlines start to emerge, as more of these letters come out, and as the negotiations really come to the fore ahead of that Aug. 1 deadline,' said Tapas Strickland, head of market economics at National Australia Bank. 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Cambodian garment workers fret about Trump tariff threat
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Trump Effect website claims credit for $2.6 trillion in new investments
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