That’s how US President Donald Trump exploded on Truth Social on May 30, accusing China of breaching a trade agreement. But the all-caps fury betrays something deeper: an American leader who’s cornered, not commanding. Trump’s tantrum was triggered by China’s accelerating export push, particularly in green technologies. Yet the timing is revealing. His administration had just postponed key tariff hikes it had loudly threatened for months. Behind the social media outrage is a man who blinked first and who, many investors now believe, will have to do so again.
Despite a barrage of promises to hammer China with sweeping new levies, Trump pulled back in May from a threatened 145%, which was trimmed to 30% after talks in Geneva. Planned hikes on Chinese electric vehicles, solar equipment and critical minerals were softened or delayed.
