A White House insider has accused President Donald Trump of turning international trade negotiations into a made-for-TV spectacle, saying his much-hyped tariff deadlines are more about drama than diplomacy.
“Trump knows the tariff stuff is the most interesting part of his presidency,” the source told Politico, speaking anonymously due to fear of retaliation. “It’s all fake. There’s no real deadline — it’s just a self-imposed milestone in this theatrical production.”
Back in April, Trump temporarily paused his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs, giving foreign governments a three-month window to renegotiate trade deals or face harsh new levies. At the time, the president warned that the U.S. would reimpose tariffs on August 1 if new deals weren’t in place — a threat he has since wavered on.
Despite Trump’s bold claim to Time magazine that he had “basically made all the deals” with more than 200 countries, only the UK and China have finalized relatively minor agreements as of this week — with just days left before the original July 9 deadline.
In the meantime, Trump has doubled down on the tough talk. On Friday, he told reporters that more than a dozen “take-it-or-leave-it” letters had already been signed and would be delivered to countries that have yet to comply with U.S. demands. By Sunday, however, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the White House is now shifting the deadline to August 1.
“President Trump will be sending letters to some of our trading partners making clear that if progress isn’t made, they’ll revert to their April 2nd tariff rates,” Bessent told CNN. “We think this will accelerate deal-making.”
But behind the scenes, some officials are skeptical that Trump is serious about finalizing any of these deals — or that he even wants to.
“He loves the chaos. He loves the spotlight,” the insider told Politico. “You’ve got wins. Take them. But he’s not doing that — maybe because he enjoys the game too much.”
In a press conference last week, Trump appeared to embrace the uncertainty. “We can do whatever we want,” he said when asked about the looming July 9 deadline. “We could extend it, we could make it shorter. I’d like to make it shorter.”
Critics say this constant flux has rattled global markets and undercut confidence in the administration’s economic strategy.
In response to the growing criticism, White House spokesman Kush Desai defended the president’s trade agenda in a statement to The Daily Beast.
“The hollowing out of American Main Streets and industries by unfair foreign trade practices is not a theatrical show,” Desai said. “President Trump pledged to use tariffs to level the playing field and restore American greatness, and the administration is committed to delivering on that promise.”
