Trump on Pausing Tariffs: People 'Were Getting Yippy' — 'No Other President Would Have Done What I Did' (April 9, 2025)

Hours after he paused his new tariffs for most countries, President Donald Trump was asked why. Standing with racing champions at the White House, he said “people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy. You know? They were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid, unlike these champions, because we have a big job to do,” according to the transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

“No other President would have done what I did. No other President—I know the Presidents. They wouldn’t have done it. And it had to be done,” Trump said on the South Portico on April 9, 2025 [1].

The video above shows Trump with NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA champions on April 9, 2025. Quotes are from the American Presidency Project [1][2].

”Somebody Had to Do It”

“But somebody had to do it. They had to stop, because it was not sustainable. Last year, China made $1 trillion off trade with the United States. That’s not right. And now I’ve reversed it,” Trump said [1].

“Charles Schwab was here a little while ago, one of the great financial people, and he said he’s been waiting for 40 years for somebody to do what I did over the last month,” he said [1].

“And I did a 90-day pause for the people that didn’t retaliate, because I told them, ‘If you retaliate, we’re going to double it.’ And that’s what I did with China, because they did retaliate,” Trump said [1].

”President Xi Is a Proud Man”

“China wants to make a deal. They just don’t know how quite to go about it,” Trump said. “They’re proud people, and President Xi is a proud man.” [1]

“We have many other countries, as you know—many more than 75, and they all want to come,” he said [1].

”They Never Had the Guts to Do It”

A reporter asked why tariffs were fine when Democrats wanted them. “I love this guy, whoever the hell that is,” Trump said, as the crowd laughed. “No, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi—everybody knew you had to do it, but they never had the guts to do it.” [1]

“That’s why I say, ‘Be cool.’ They were saying about—I said, ‘Just be cool.’ It’s going to work out,” he said [1].

“I think it’s a transition to greatness. It’s going to be greatness,” Trump said [1].

”A Deal Can Be Made With Every One of Them”

Asked about Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying a “win-win” deal with Europe was possible, Trump said: “First of all, I know him. He’s a good man, and I appreciate his comments. Yes, a deal can be made with every one of them.” [1]

“But they weren’t fair to the United States. They were sucking us dry, and you can’t do that. You know, we have $36 trillion of debt for a reason,” he said [1].

“If you look at Apple, Apple is going to spend $500 billion building a plant. They wouldn’t be doing that if I didn’t do this,” Trump said [1].

”The Bond Market Is Very Tricky”

Asked if the bond market had changed his mind, Trump said: “No, I was watching the bond market. The bond market is very tricky. I was watching it, but if you look at it now, it’s beautiful.” [1]

“But yes, I saw last night, where people were getting a little queasy,” he said [1].

“The big move was what I did on ‘liberation day,’” Trump said [1].

”Two-Forty Plus”

The event honored Roger Penske’s racing teams. “And I watched him win his 18th Indianapolis 500, and now I just said, ‘Did you win 19?’ And he said, ‘Well, actually, we won 20,’” Trump said [1].

He asked two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden how fast his car goes. “Two-forty plus,” Newgarden said. “It’s a weapon.” [1]

“So what the hell are you doing? What do you eat?” Trump asked, to laughter. “A lot of milk,” Newgarden answered [1].

“Well, it takes a special genetic. You know that, right? It’s genes,” Trump told NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney after Blaney said his car tops out around 200 miles an hour [1].

“Endurance is a big factor in life and success, I can tell you, so—you guys have it,” Trump told the drivers [1].

By the Numbers

90 days: the pause for countries that did not retaliate, per Trump [1].
More than 75: countries that want to make deals, per Trump [1].
20: Indianapolis 500 wins for Penske, per Trump [1].
240+: miles an hour for Newgarden’s IndyCar, per Newgarden [1].

What Happened Next

The U.S. and China called a truce. On May 12, 2025, the United States and China announced in Geneva that the United States would cut its China tariff “by suspending 24 percentage points of that rate for an initial period of 90 days, while retaining the remaining ad valorem rate of 10 percent,” with China doing the same [2].

The two sides agreed to “establish a mechanism to continue discussions,” led for the U.S. by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer [2].

For Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs a week earlier, see HYGO News’ page on April 2, 2025. For Trump in the Oval Office an hour later, signing his showerhead order, see the page on April 9, 2025.