Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs have unleashed economic pain on the world, and the world is not impressed – 24 scathing takedowns
Donald Trump’s much heralded (or threatened, depending on your point of view) so-called Liberation Day arrived on Wednesday, and he finally announced all the tariffs he will be placing on countries and regions across the world.
Trump: 1789-1913, we were tariff backed nation, the United States was proportionately the wealthiest it has ever been. pic.twitter.com/hncD2PwKpJ
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 2, 2025
As he usually does with the stupid things he wants to avoid congressional scrutiny over, he signed executive orders to seal the deal …eventually.
Trump leaves the stage but is guided back to sign the executive orders pic.twitter.com/vhpxNNLBMa
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 2, 2025
It was widely agreed that this was definitely one of his stupider moves, in a crowded field of things so idiotic they make Baldrick look like an intellectual powerhouse.
Happy “LIBERATION DAY”.
As someone with a degree in economics and experience running four international businesses, I can confidently say this is one of the most misguided economic policies I’ve ever seen.
Check out the thread below for the full list of tariffs. https://t.co/JdQ89TNjVo pic.twitter.com/H75Xrh7NA4
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 2, 2025
Trump has even slapped a tariff on an area inhabited exclusively by penguins.
And 10% on the Heard and McDonald Islands, too. An uninhibited territory of Australia near Antarctica. pic.twitter.com/JRS5olMRjV
— Alex Wellman (@WellmanAlex) April 2, 2025
A couple of countries hit the zero tariffs jackpot. We’re confident you could guess which two.
the only two countries on earth exempt from Trump’s tariffs are, no joke, Russia and North Korea
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) April 2, 2025
Experts are warning that the tariffs could cause a global recession, and the US could reach that point before anywhere else.
Gonna be a BLOODBATH on Wall St tomorrow. Investors will lose billions. Retirement accts will be further slammed. Inflation will keep rising. Co's will lay off millions. Unemployment will spike. GDP will drop. Recession coming. He's destroyed the best economy in decades…
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) April 2, 2025
The verdict online was almost wall-to-wall condemnation, with a large side order of mockery.
1.
"Hello Eurovision! Here are the votes from the Washington jury. Our 12 points go to……Russia." pic.twitter.com/n3BS0K8rqj
— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) April 2, 2025
2.
Donald Trump is running the country like he did his casinos.
— Art Candee (@ArtCandee) April 2, 2025
3.
It's a record breaker… #Trump #TrumpTariffs pic.twitter.com/zAXrG8tTJY
— The Rev. Anton Mittens (@MittensOff) April 2, 2025
4.
Kamala: We are not going back.
Trump: We are going back to 1789. https://t.co/OxZe5zn9XU
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) April 2, 2025
5.
#TrumpTariffs
A good source tells me Pres. Trump will place tariffs on the following UK goods:
-Baps
-Emojis from the film ‘Adolescence’
-Philip Schofield
-Bicycle lanes
-Hull City FC home shirts
-Moist bread
-Ann Widdecombe’s yeasts
-Moths
-Anything that is stiff
-Skunk.
pic.twitter.com/RTixbi4brZ— Sir Michael Take CBE (@MichaelTakeMP) April 2, 2025
6.
crazy to see a recession be engineered in real time pic.twitter.com/iyQUHvnELY
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) April 2, 2025
7.
This is some weird shit
— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) April 2, 2025
8.
The tariffs are face-smackingly stupid and self-destructive as a matter of economic policy, but just as important is how they figure into Trump’s MO.
1. Make outlandish threat
2. Use as leverage to get [stuff]
3. Declare [stuff] as a major victory.
4. Do it over and over and…— Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) April 2, 2025
9.
Is this a Guinness world record attempt for rambling idiocy. If so someone tell him to shut the F*ck up, he got it about 30 minutes ago. #TrumpTariffs #Trump pic.twitter.com/VrUqfch3su
— The Rev. Anton Mittens (@MittensOff) April 2, 2025
10.
I’m sitting watching this thinking it’s all a bit odd. Is it odd or have I lost my marbles?#TrumpTariffs
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) April 2, 2025
11.
5% of the speech is about tariffs
95%of the speech… #TrumpTariffs pic.twitter.com/rJPLYYyWgd— Mick Kane, (@mickedkan) April 2, 2025
12.
We’ve done this mass tariff thing 3 times in American history.
1828, 1930, 2025.
All spaced about 100 years apart because everyone who remembers the last one needs to be dead for the next one to happen.
The last two caused a depression. I hope this one makes us rich tho.
— stacy (@stacycay) April 3, 2025