President Donald Trump said his raspy voice on Monday was the result of a heated exchange with a foreign country that tried to reopen a trade agreement.
Trump appeared hoarse while meeting with the White House task force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prompting a reporter to ask whether he was feeling well.
“I feel great,” Trump replied. He said he had been “shouting at people” during a trade-related dispute and that the argument had strained his voice. According to Trump, a country sought to renegotiate the terms of its trade deal with the United States, and he pushed back strongly.
He declined to name the country involved, telling reporters only that he was unhappy with the attempt to revisit the agreement. When asked directly which nation it was, he responded, “Why would I say that to you?”
The U.S. has been involved in trade discussions with several countries in recent months, including Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Trump also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, where the two discussed trade issues.
In those talks, Trump said he agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese imports by 10%, lowering the rate from 57% to 47%, after China committed to work with the U.S. on addressing fentanyl trafficking. He also said he would hold off on an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods that had been scheduled to take effect Nov. 1. Trump had threatened the increase after China announced export controls on rare-earth magnets, a move he said China agreed to delay for a year.
Trump later said a broader trade agreement between the U.S. and China would be signed soon. He described his meeting with Xi in glowing terms, rating it above the top of his own scale and saying the talks produced major decisions and progress on key issues.
