Trump at NRCC Dinner: Global Tariffs, $1 Trillion Spending Cuts, and “War With the World” Walkback.
President Donald Trump delivered a sweeping, high-energy address during the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) President’s Dinner on April 8, 2025, in Washington, D.C., where he laid out his latest economic agenda, defended his aggressive trade policy, and called for unity among Republicans as they head into a critical election cycle.
During the speech, Trump made headlines by initially calling his global tariff policy a “war with the world” before quickly reversing course.
“I do think that the war with the world—which is not a war at all, because they’re all coming here,” he said, referring to international leaders visiting the U.S. to negotiate exemptions or revisions to sweeping new tariffs. “Japan is coming here as we speak. They’re in a plane flying, lots of them. All tough negotiators.”
Moments later, the president added a more colorful characterization of foreign interest in trade negotiations: “They’re calling me up, kissing my ass… They’re dying to make a deal.”
He then mimicked foreign leaders pleading with him: “Please, please sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything, sir.”
Trump’s remarks follow the implementation of a comprehensive tariff regime that includes a staggering 104% duty on Chinese imports and new tariffs ranging from 11% to 50% on products from dozens of other countries, including those in the European Union. The administration claims the policy is necessary to level the global trade playing field and restore American manufacturing.
The president also used the event to announce an impending tariff on pharmaceutical products. “We are going to announce very soon large tariffs on pharmaceuticals,” he said. “Once we do that, companies will hear that, they’ll leave China, they’ll leave other places, because they have to. Most of their products are sold here, and they’ll be opening up plants all over our country. The advantage we have is that we are a big market.”
Beyond trade, Trump turned to fiscal policy, revealing his plan to slash federal spending by over $1 trillion.
In a post published earlier that day on Truth Social, the president described a meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of the conservative Freedom Caucus.
“I let them know that I am FOR A HUGE reduction in spending! WE WILL MAKE CUTS, hopefully over $1 trillion,” he wrote.
Trump added that these cuts would be consolidated into “one big, beautiful bill,” which he promised to push through Congress with the support of Republican lawmakers.
Later at the NRCC event, Trump urged GOP unity around the budget resolution passed by the Senate, warning House Republicans against “grandstanding.” He called on dissenting members to “just close your eyes and get there,” and emphasized the importance of passing the legislation to ensure the success of his broader agenda.
Despite his divisive tone, Trump ended on a note of confidence, predicting a “tremendous, thunderous landslide” for Republicans in the upcoming midterms.
The dinner raised over $35 million for the NRCC, a record-setting haul that underscored Trump’s continued fundraising strength heading into the 2026 election season.
As global markets respond to the shockwaves of Trump’s tariff strategy and lawmakers debate the scale of proposed spending cuts, the president appears resolute in his dual mission: reshaping global trade and downsizing the federal government—all while rallying his party ahead of a high-stakes political year.
