Trump Defends Tariff Plans Amid Market Turmoil: "Sometimes You Have to Take Medicine"

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday remained defiant in the face of growing concerns over his tariff plans, asserting that short-term economic pain may be necessary to correct long-standing trade imbalances. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from a weekend of golfing in Florida, Trump likened his policies to a form of necessary treatment.

“Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” Trump said, as reported by a French international news agency.

Despite global and domestic market declines — with nearly $6 trillion wiped off U.S. stock values — the president showed no signs of backing away from his aggressive trade stance. Trump reiterated that the U.S. has been unfairly treated by its trading partners for decades, placing the blame squarely on previous administrations.

“We have been treated so badly by other countries because we had stupid leadership that allowed this to happen,” he told reporters, according to Reuters.

The market reaction follows Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs, including a hefty 34% tariff on Chinese goods. The news sent shockwaves through financial markets, triggering a sharp sell-off both in the U.S. and globally.

However, Trump claimed that many world leaders are eager to resolve the situation. “They are dying to make a deal,” he said, suggesting that discussions on trade had already begun over the weekend.

Meanwhile, top Trump administration officials have moved to allay investor fears about a looming recession or inflation spike. According to Bloomberg, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick insisted that “the tariffs are coming,” adding that Trump “announced it and he wasn’t kidding.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed similar sentiments, telling NBC that over 50 countries had reached out to initiate talks but warned that negotiations would be complex and time-consuming.

“They’ve been bad actors for a long time,” Bessent said. “And it’s not the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks… After 20, 30, 40, 50 years of bad behaviour, you can’t just wipe the slate clean.”

As markets continue to reel from uncertainty, the Trump administration appears steadfast in its push to reshape global trade dynamics — even at the cost of short-term economic turbulence.

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