Summary
The Trump administration admitted it sent formal letters to several countries urging them to submit trade proposals by July 8, the deadline for its “90 deals in 90 days” initiative.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called them “friendly reminders,” but critics mocked the move as desperate.
The initiative began in April after Trump paused new tariffs amid market unrest.
Online commentators questioned whether deals will materialize, accusing the administration of backpedaling from bold claims about trade leverage and partner enthusiasm.
I’ve been saying this the whole time. I have friends who voted for Trump and when all of this started they just kept talking about how the tariffs were a great negotiation tactic and even if they would destroy the economy if allowed to go into effect, that would never happen. They seemed shocked when I said I believed Trump is actually stupid and thinks they’ll magically fix everything on their own. I think this is the most fascinating part of the psychology of people who vote for Trump- everyone is a Trump whisperer, an expert in deciphering exactly what he means literally and what is a joke or boast such that somehow Trump agrees 100% with each and every person who votes for him even when he says and does things that suggest otherwise. And none of them seem to realize that they all believe in a Trump with wildly different views than each other’s perception of Trump. It’s maddening.
The nastiness of Trump is his appeal. They like the idea of people getting punished while they get away with it. It’s part of why his appeal is so broad. His speech’s feel like a friend making snide remarks. So they envision him punishing the people they dislike, but never them.
No one wants to admit this to themselves, never mind someone else. So they’ll tie themselves up in knots trying to justify why they like him.