This self-inflicted wound could sink Donald Trump's presidency, says WSJ; here's what it is

As US president Donald Trump completed his 100th day in office on April 29, a series of challenges that cast a shadow over his administration was pointed out by the Wall Street Journal.

Donald Trump's Tariffs: A Self-Inflicted Wound

The Rupert Murdoch-owned publication, in an opinion column, highlighted that the White House needs “a major reset” if it hopes to salvage Trump’s “final years from the economic and foreign-policy shocks he has unleashed, reported HuffPost, citing WSJ.

The WSJ emphasized that one of the major setbacks is the US president’s fondness for tariffs, calling it a self-inflicted wound that “could sink his presidency,” as per HuffPost.


Even the Associated Press pointed out this concern, saying that Trump seems constitutionally unable to stop contradicting himself on the subject, reported HuffPost.

The AP article mentioned that “Trump has said he will simply set new tariff rates negotiated internally within the U.S. government over the next few weeks — although he already did that on his April 2 ’Liberation Day,’ which caused the world economy to shudder,” quoted HuffPost.

AP also pointed out that, “China has refused to seek talks, saying it would ‘fight to the end’ in a tariff war, prompting Trump to further jack up the tax rate on Chinese imports to 145%,” as quoted in the report.

Trump’s Attacks on Higher Education Draw Criticism

While, the WSJ op-ed also criticized Trump's attacks on universities as a violation of free speech and academic independence, according to HuffPost.

The president of the University of Pennsylvania, Larry Jameson, along with other academic leaders wrote a letter saying, “As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” quoted HuffPost.

Other Conerns

However, the WSJ's editorial board acknowledged that “deportation of criminals is worthwhile,” but the op-ed also criticized "the practice for denying individuals their right to due process,” as reported by HuffPost.

FAQs

How did China respond to Trump’s tariffs?
China has refused to engage in talks and has vowed to “fight to the end” in the tariff war, as per HuffPost.

Why did The Wall Street Journal criticize Trump’s attacks on universities?
The WSJ's editorial board believes Trump’s actions violate free speech and academic independence.