Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House, April 9, 2025 (AP)

EA-Byline Times Podcast: Tackling Trump’s Tariffs

EA on International Media: “Economically Illiterate” Trump Unleashes His Tariffs

UPDATE, APR 11:

Kate English of Deloitte and I joined RTE 1’s PrimeTime on Thursday night for further examination of Donald Trump’s tariffs chaos.

We explain why Trump had to retreat on his initial made-up tariffs against every country and territory in the world — including the penguins of the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands. We consider his “tough-guy” compensation by raising tariffs to 145% on goods from China, the damage to consumers and businesses in both the US and Ireland, and the response by the European Union.

Watch Discussion from 26:04

An extract from the conversation:

ORIGINAL ENTRY, APR 10: I joined Irish media on Wednesday and Thursday to explain Donald Trump’s sudden U-turn on his tariff threats, reducing the level demanded to 10% from most countries, even as he raised the duty on Chinese imports to 125%.

Listen to Dublin NewsTalk’s Pat Kenny Show

In a 13-minute interview, I detail the events from last Wednesday’s “Liberation Day” to yesterday’s retreat, highlighting the fight within the Administration and the catalyst of Tuesday night’s turmoil over US bonds.

I also dig deep into how Trump may have broken the law by spreading market-sensitive information before his announcement, and highlight how the chaos of the Administration is bringing a realignment of global economic and political relationships.

Listen from 8:21:

I expected that Trump would have to cover his backside, only a day after talking about how all the countries in the world were kissing it because he was in such a strong position.

I was a bit surprising by how suddenly it occurred. Then I went back and played Connect The Dots with the developments.

Watch Discussion on Virgin Media News’s The Tonight Show

The other panelists on the program are Fionnan Sheahan of the Irish Independent; Rose Conway-Walsh of Sinn Fein, and financial advisor Paul Merriman. The discussion is preceded by an interview with Ireland’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Simon Harris, who is in Washington for discussions with US officials.

We analyze the reasons why Trump retreated, culminating in investors trying to offload US bonds. We consider the ongoing trade war with China, where Trump raised his tariff to 125%. We look at how other countries are pursuing economic and political options where the Trump Administration will be on the sidelines.

An extract from the conversation:

And we also take apart the “economic nonsense” of Trump cheerleader Carla Sands, who says Trump has triumphed and Wall Street is irrelevant — and cannot tell the difference between the UK and Ireland.