If the Republican donors at Wednesday's fundraiser in Missouri for Senate candidate Josh Hawley paid to hear President Trump complain bitterly about close allies, discuss Japan dropping bowling balls on cars, brag about his presidency, and take credit for a Democratic win in Pennsylvania, they got their money's worth, according to audio of the closed-door event obtained by The Washington Post. If they wanted to hear Trump talk about Hawley, tough luck.
Trump reportedly focused on trade for much of the 30-minute speech, going full protectionist. He mocked politicians who support NAFTA, arguing that Mexico is "spoiled," Canada was outsmarting the U.S., and "the best deal is to terminate it and make a new deal." Trump said if countries want exemptions from his trade tariffs, they have to negotiate directly with him, then he told this story of negotiating with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
