White House explains why Donald Trump’s tariffs were ‘necessary’

File photo: US President Donald Trump (Picture credit: AP)

The White House strongly defended President Donald Trump’s tariffs, saying that they were a long-overdue response to decades of economic policies that devastated American workers and hollowed out the country’s industrial base.
In a detailed statement, the administration compared previous trade policies to “insanity,” suggesting it was irrational to continue down a path that had already led to soaring trade deficits and widespread job losses. “The trade policies of the past several decades have failed this nation, its workers, and our communities,” the statement read, recalling a 2005 New York Times editorial that warned of “dangerous deficits” when the monthly US trade deficit hit $58.3 billion.
“It’s cliché, yet true — the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and expecting a different result. The trade policies of the past several decades have failed this nation, its workers, and our communities,” the statement read.
Citing the remarks of former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, the statement said these persistent deficits helped trigger the Great Recession and have continued to erode America’s economic self-sufficiency. Since 1990, manufacturing jobs in New York have dropped by 59%, and by 35% in Ohio. “The loss of these jobs killed innocent Americans and destroyed towns,” the statement claimed, adding that job losses from bad trade deals have been linked to rising drug overdoses.
Critics of Trump’s tariffs, particularly among liberal commentators, were called out in the White House statement for dismissing efforts to reshore American industry. CNN’s Nia Malika-Henderson was singled out for asking whether it was “worth it to upend the global economy for HVAC jobs,” to which the White House responded pointedly, “Apparently, Nia Malika-Henderson thinks preserving low-wage jobs in China is more important than creating high-wage jobs in America.”
The statement listed a wave of recent investments from both US and international firms in American manufacturing as proof that Trump’s trade approach is yielding results. Companies including Nvidia, Apple, Novartis, TSMC, Hyundai, and Eli Lilly have all committed billions to new or expanded US-based facilities. These investments, the White House s, vaidalidate Trump’s strategy to restore domestic production and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains—a matter described as a “national security emergency.”
Yet, Trump’s tariff strategy has not come without disruption. His sudden imposition—and equally abrupt suspension—of new global tariffs in April shocked financial markets and unsettled businesses. Since President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement last week, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF has fallen 5.2%. While Trump insisted the 90-day pause was part of a broader negotiation strategy, many saw it as a reaction to market turmoil and criticism from allies and corporate leaders.
The initial tariff plan involved a 10% baseline duty on most imports, followed by higher “reciprocal” tariffs on countries with perceived unfair trade practices. China faced the harshest penalty, with tariffs raised to a staggering 145% after Beijing announced retaliatory measures.
Despite the turbulence, the White House maintained that the transition is necessary. “There will be a transition cost and transition problems,” Trump had previously admitted, “but in the end it’s going to be a beautiful thing.”