[The Editors' Verdict] "The Trump Show" Is Only Just Beginning

President Donald Trump of the United States is renowned for his dramatic flair and his adeptness at political maneuvering. He is also known for his keen instincts. Even when he was shot during a campaign rally in July last year, he repeatedly shouted "Fight!" with his fist clenched, blood streaming down his face from his ear. This shocking incident shook up the election landscape and signaled the return of "Trumpism," symbolized by "new protectionism" and "America First."

At just past 4 p.m. local time on the 2nd, President Trump declared, "Today is America's Liberation Day." He asserted that "America's steelworkers and farmers have been exploited for over 50 years," and emphasized, "Today is one of the most important days in American history-an economic Independence Day." On this day, President Trump signed an executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs of at least 10% and up to 49% on countries around the world.

Unlike the hundreds of executive orders he had previously signed in the Oval Office, President Trump held the signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, known as the "President's Garden," set against a backdrop of American flags. The garden was created in 1913 when Ellen Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson, planted roses there. Historically, it has served as the stage for major policy announcements and summits between heads of state. It is clear that President Trump's decision to announce reciprocal tariffs at his first Rose Garden event since taking office was intended to publicly showcase his dramatic style to the world.

The spectacle of President Trump's tariff announcement on this day evoked a scene from the latter part of the 1996 film "Independence Day." In the movie, the American president, before the final battle against alien invaders, proclaims, "We fight for our right to live, to exist," and declares, "Today is our Independence Day."

However, whereas the speech in the film (even with America at the center) invoked the coexistence of humanity, Trump's speech underscored the glory of America alone. The confrontation in the movie was "humanity vs. aliens," but in reality, it has become "America vs. the world."

President Trump's actions over the more than 70 days since his inauguration can be summed up as a logic of American interests and power. Under America First, only extreme pragmatism and transactional relationships exist. As a result, some analysts warn that the global trade system is at risk of collapsing, and that the United States itself could face a shock on the scale of a financial crisis.

Indeed, on April 3, the day after President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners, the New York Stock Exchange saw its market capitalization plummet by $3.1 trillion (about 4,502 trillion won), marking its worst day in five years since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. In particular, the S&P 500 Index fell by about 12% from its February peak, re-entering a correction phase and hitting a new low since President Trump's election victory in November last year.

That was not the end. Undeterred by the stock market crash, President Trump announced that tariffs on semiconductors would be imposed "very soon." With tariffs on both foreign automobiles and semiconductors, Korea's top two export items to the United States have now fallen under the influence of what is being called the "Trump tariff typhoon."

Was this another reality show orchestrated by President Trump on a day that marked yet another historic moment? It is unsettling to realize that the fate of our country is at the mercy of President Trump's events, as he already mentions a third-term bid and insists, "I'm not joking." Even worse, the uncertainty caused by Trump is only just beginning.