Donald Trump calls tariffs his favorite word, defends US economic gains, and pressures India amid stalled trade talks. Photo: X.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday described “tariffs” as his favorite word, calling it “the most beautiful” in the English language, during a speech at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Arizona. Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing international debates over American tariffs, particularly with India, as both countries continue to negotiate a trade deal.
While touting tariffs as his top word, Trump later acknowledged media criticism of his rhetoric.
“The media – or ‘fake news’ as I call them – asked me, ‘what about words like love, god, religion, family?’ I got killed! So I changed it; now it’s my fifth favourite word,” he said, though he maintained tariffs as his top priority in economic policy.
Addressing a gathering of top US military generals and officials, Trump asserted that tariffs are a tool for fair treatment in global trade.
“Other countries were taking advantage of us for years and years. Now we’re treating them fairly,” he said.
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Trump claimed that tariffs are generating substantial revenue for the US, asserting that “trillions are coming into America” since he implemented the measures two months ago.
He also expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would uphold the tariffs, despite a lower court ruling that he lacked the authority to impose them via executive order. “This is what other nations have done to us,” he said in defense of his policy.
India has faced one of the highest US tariffs, along with Brazil, with duties reaching 50% since August. Trump has stated that half of India’s tariff is a penalty for buying Russian oil. In recent remarks at the United Nations, he identified India and China as primary funders of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
US India tariff tensions escalated after August, stalling negotiations. Statements from Trump, U.S. secretaries like Howard Lutnick, and advisers including Peter Navarro further complicated talks.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick has also emphasized “open markets” as a condition for any trade deal. India, meanwhile, has set firm boundaries on allowing American goods to compete in domestic farming and dairy sectors. Although the latest round of discussions – ongoing since April – occurred just last week, a breakthrough has yet to be reached. Both sides had earlier suggested a deal could be finalized by the fall.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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