Latest news with #TheFinancialTimes'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump rejects 'TACO' nickname, insists he's not 'chickening out'
The Brief Trump was visibly offended by the "TACO" acronym and rejected the idea that he's "chickening out," calling the reporter's inquiry "nasty." He defended his tariff strategy as a negotiation tactic, asserting that setting high numbers and then reducing them is part of the process. Trump insisted that his approach has led to significant investment in the U.S., dismissing the notion of him chickening out as the "nastiest question." WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump wants the world to know he's no "chicken" just because he's repeatedly backed off high tariff threats. The backstory The U.S. Republican president's tendency to levy extremely high import taxes and then retreat has created what's known as the "TACO" trade, an acronym coined by The Financial Times' Robert Armstrong that stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out." Markets generally sell off when Trump makes his tariff threats and then recover after he backs down. What they're saying Trump was visibly offended when asked about the phrase Wednesday and rejected the idea that he's "chickening out," saying that the reporter's inquiry was "nasty." "You call that chickening out?" Trump said. "It's called negotiation," adding that he sets a "ridiculous high number and I go down a little bit, you know, a little bit" until the figure is more reasonable. Trump defended his approach of jacking up tariff rates to 145% on Chinese goods, only to pull back to 30% for 90 days of negotiations. He similarly last week threatened to impose a 50% tax on goods from the European Union starting in June, only to delay the tariff hike until July 9 so that negotiations can occur while the baseline 10% tariff continues to be charged. Similar dramas have played out over autos, electronics and the universal tariffs that Trump announced on April 2 that were based in part on individual trade deficits with other countries. In each case, Trump generally took the stock market on a roller coaster. Investors sold-off when the tariff threats were announced as they implied slower economic growth and higher prices, which would hurt companies' profits. Stocks then rebounded after Trump stepped back. As of Wednesday afternoon, the S&P 500 stock index was up slightly so far this year. But the index was down as much as 15% on the year on April 8, a reflection of the volatility that Trump's changing policies have created. He said that approach has led to $14 trillion in new investment in the U.S., a figure that appears to be artificially high and has not been fully verified by economic data. "Don't ever say what you said," Trump said with regard to the notion of him chickening out. "To me, that's the nastiest question." Trump said that EU officials would not be negotiating if not for his 50% tariff, saying he usually has the opposite problem of being "too tough."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Body Language After He Learns He's Been Brutally Mocked Spoke Volumes, Experts Say
President Donald Trump sparked a lot of chatter online after firing back at a reporter who asked him about a brutal yet tasty-sounding acronym his tariff policies have inspired. But body language experts think the president's nonverbal responses also gave viewers quite a lot to chew on. On Wednesday, a reporter told Trump that some Wall Street analysts are dismissing his tariff threats with the slogan 'TACO,' which stands for 'Trump Always Chickens Out.' The mocking acronym references the fact that Trump has announced high tariffs, only to back off shortly after. The president's on-again, off-again tariffs have caused markets to tumble and then rise again. The TACO acronym was coined by The Financial Times' Robert Armstrong. When the reporter asked Trump to weigh in on the term, the president concluded by sharply chiding her: 'Don't ever say what you said. That's a nasty question. To me, that's the nastiest question.' Reporter: Wall Street analysts have a new term called the TACO trade.. Saying Trump always chickens out on tariffs… Trump: I kick out?Reporter: Chicken I gave the E.U. a 50% tax tariff. They called up and said, please, let meet right now. You call that… — Acyn (@Acyn) May 28, 2025 Trump's controversial tariff policies have faced criticism from global leaders, several lawsuits and even skepticism from other Republicans and some of his backers. But body language experts think his response to being mocked that he's 'chickened' out on his tariff threats didn't sit well with him. When the reporter asked Trump about TACO, the president initially heard 'kick out' instead of 'chickens out.' When the reporter corrected him, Trump looked away with 'slight sadness around his eyes' and '[twisted] his mouth showing he is upset,' said Patti Wood, a body language and nonverbal communication expert and author of 'SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma.' Wood said that when Trump referenced the 'chickening out' dig moments later, his body language demonstrated 'a lack of confidence and conviction with what he just said.' 'His head tilts, shoulders are down and not up, and his eyes squint and he looks down and away,' she said. Traci Brown, an author and body language expert, said that Trump showcased a smile that was likely intended to 'hide his anger.' 'We see his bottom teeth in this smile more than in his real smiles,' she told HuffPost. 'That's the tell. The other tell of a cover-up is the change of tone in his voice. He uses that when he's working to create a distraction — as is evidenced by his rambling.' Denise M. Dudley, a psychologist and author of 'Making Relationships Last,' told HuffPost that she believes Trump 'sort of goes somewhere else' after he learns about the TACO acronym and said he flashed a 'tiny smile of recognition' that was possibly a combination of 'embarrassment and the start of an anger sequence.' 'Next, he starts to shake his head in the negative direction; not in an emphatic 'no' way, but more in a 'mad dad who's disappointed in his kid' way,' she said. Karen Donaldson, a communication and body language expert, said that Trump's body language showed that he was 'actively listening' to the reporter's question, but that when he realized what was actually said, he 'showcased a quick smirk' that conveyed he thought what he was hearing was 'slightly comical.' 'Then he looked away from the reporter who was asking a question while he spoke, which showcases a disregard for their presence,' she told HuffPost. 'It also signals a disinterest for the person and/or what is being said.' Brown said she noticed that immediately before Trump criticized the reporter for her TACO question, he 'stands up really straight and puffs his chest out.' 'That's a power display,' she said. 'Then he shrinks as he makes the 'don't ever say that' quote and points. Shrinking doesn't show confidence. But pointing shows threat. So he's a bit mixed here.' Dudley said that Trump frowned during that moment 'more than usual' and started 'shaking his head in the negative direction.' 'Also, interestingly, he really pauses between 'don't ever say' and 'what you said,'' she continued. 'It's a pretty long pause, coupled with head shaking and frowning. He's searching for words and isn't sure how to finish that sentence. This TACO comment has bothered him.' Donaldson said that Trump widened his eyes when he told the reporter that her question was 'nasty,' which communicates that he's 'intently focused on what he is saying and also wants everyone to be as well.' 'As he speaks, his back straightens up instantly before he relaxes again; that signals that he is highly confident in that moment, paired with what he was saying,' she said. 'Then his body language becomes dismissive as he shifted the direction his upper torso was facing.' Wood said that Trump glared with anger as he told the reporter, 'Don't ever say what you said.' His brows moved 'downward' in an angry fashion, and his mouth was 'wide open and snarling,' she said, calling it a 'lion snarl.' Wood said that when Trump called the reporter's question a 'nasty question,' she noticed a 'sadness' in his eyes despite the 'anger in his voice.' 'His face looks like he might want to cry,' she said. Overall, Dudley said that she believes Trump appeared 'more flustered than usual' throughout his entire response to the reporter. 'I've always assumed he has the toughest skin in the world, and that he must love being attacked and attacking back, but in this clip, I think he's mad,' she said. 'Is he mad that his staff hasn't told him about the TACO thing? Is he mad about the TACO thing itself? Is he mad that the reporter made him look bad? Who knows!' Appeals Court Reinstates Most Of Trump's Tariffs For Now Trump Short-Circuits Over Wall Street's 4-Letter Slogan For Him 'Utterly Embarrassing': Critics Cluck Back At Trump After Bizarre 'Chicken' Meltdown
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Trump rejects claim he's 'chickening out' on tariffs just because he keeps changing rates
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump wants the world to know he's no "chicken" just because he's repeatedly backed off high tariff threats. The U.S. Republican president's tendency to levy extremely high import taxes and then retreat has created what's known as the "TACO" trade, an acronym coined by The Financial Times' Robert Armstrong that stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out." Markets generally sell off when Trump makes his tariff threats and then recover after he backs down. Trump was visibly offended when asked about the phrase Wednesday and rejected the idea that he's "chickening out," saying that the reporter's inquiry was "nasty." "You call that chickening out?" Trump said. "It's called negotiation," adding that he sets a "ridiculous high number and I go down a little bit, you know, a little bit" until the figure is more reasonable. Trump defended his approach of jacking up tariff rates to 145% on Chinese goods, only to pull back to 30% for 90 days of negotiations. He similarly last week threatened to impose a 50% tax on goods from the European Union starting in June, only to delay the tariff hike until July 9 so that negotiations can occur while the baseline 10% tariff continues to be charged. Similar dramas have played out over autos, electronics and the universal tariffs that Trump announced on April 2 that were based in part on individual trade deficits with other countries. In each case, Trump generally took the stock market on a roller coaster. Investors sold-off when the tariff threats were announced as they implied slower economic growth and higher prices, which would hurt companies' profits. Stocks then rebounded after Trump stepped back. As of Wednesday afternoon, the S&P 500 stock index was up slightly so far this year. But the index was down as much as 15% on the year on April 8, a reflection of the volatility that Trump's changing policies have created. He said that approach has led to $14 trillion in new investment in the U.S., a figure that appears to be artificially high and has not been fully verified by economic data. "Don't ever say what you said," Trump said with regard to the notion of him chickening out. "To me, that's the nastiest question." Trump said that EU officials would not be negotiating if not for his 50% tariff, saying he usually has the opposite problem of being "too tough."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Donald Trump goes on unhinged rant after being called 'chicken' over trade war
The US president was asked about the new acronym that's been coined to mock his trade policies amid high tariff rates on other nations, but he was not impressed Donald Trump has vehemently slammed the new acronym - TACO - that's been devised to ridicule his trade policies amid elevated tariff rates on other countries. At a press briefing today, Trump faced questions about the TACO trade, a term coined by The Financial Times' Robert Armstrong, which stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out," following recent market upheavals. When a journalist mentioned the term, an incensed Trump retorted: "You mean because I reduced China from 145% that I set, down to 100, and then down to another number, and I said you have to open up your whole country." Last week, Trump hinted he might levy a 50% tax on goods from the European Union starting in June but postponed the tariff increase until July 9, allowing time for discussions while keeping the standard 10% tariff in place. "After I did what I did they said 'we'll meet any time you want' and 'we have an end date of July 9th,' you call that chickening-out?", reports the Irish Star. Trump then boasted about America being the "hottest country in the world" and castigated the reporter who asked the question. "You know, we have the hottest country anywhere in the world. I went to Saudi Arabia, the king told me, he said 'we have the hottest country in the world right now'," Trump proclaimed. "Six months ago this country was stone cold dead. We had a dead country. We had a country people didn't think was going to survive and you ask a nasty question like that." Trump defended his tactics, which some detractors have branded as "chickening out," by claiming it is simply an astute manoeuvre in negotiations, pointing to China as a prime example. Trump reiterated his strategy of escalating Chinese product tariffs to an unprecedented 145% before lowering them to 30% to begin a 90-day negotiation period. "I said 'where are we now?' We're at 145%, I said 'woo, that's high, that's high'...we were basically going cold turkey with China, we were doing no business, because of the tariff, because it was so high," Trump asserted. He proceeded to berate the journalist who had the audacity to ask the question. "But don't ever say what you said, that's a nasty question, to me, that's the nastiest question," Trump fumed. Trump then claimed that without the daunting 50% tariff he imposed, EU officials would not even entertain negotiations, despite often facing criticism for being "too tough."
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Trump denies 'chickening out' on tariffs amid frequent rate changes
US President Donald Trump wants the world to know he's no chicken just because he's repeatedly backed off high tariff threats. The Republican president's tendency to levy extremely high import taxes and then retreat has created what's known as the TACO" trade, an acronym coined by The Financial Times' Robert Armstrong that stands for Trump Always Chickens Out". Markets generally sell off when Trump makes his tariff threats and then recover after he backs down. Trump was visibly offended when asked about the phrase Wednesday and rejected the idea that he's chickening out", terming the reporter's inquiry nasty". "You call that chickening out? It's called negotiation, Trump said, adding that he sets a ridiculous high number and I go down a little bit, you know, a little bit" until the figure is more reasonable. Trump defended his approach of jacking up tariff rates to 145 per cent on Chinese goods, only to pull back to 30 per cent for 90 days of negotiations. Similarly, last week he threatened to impose a 50 per cent tax on goods from the European Union starting June, only to delay the tariff hike until July 9 so that negotiations can occur while the baseline 10 per cent tariff continues to be charged. Similar dramas have played out over autos, electronics and the universal tariffs that Trump announced on April 2 that were based in part on individual trade deficits with other countries. In each case, Trump generally took the stock market on a roller coaster. Investors sold-off when the tariff threats were announced as they implied slower economic growth and higher prices, which would hurt companies' profits. Stocks then rebounded after Trump stepped back. As of Wednesday afternoon, the S and P 500 stock index was up slightly so far this year. But the index was down as much as 15 per cent on the year on April 8, a reflection of the volatility that Trump's changing policies have created. He said that approach has led to USD 14 trillion in new investment in the US, a figure that appears to be artificially high and has not been fully verified by economic data. Don't ever say what you said, Trump said with regard to the notion of him chickening out. To me, that's the nastiest question. Trump also said that EU officials would not be negotiating if not for his 50 per cent tariff, saying he usually has the opposite problem of being too tough".
