Trump Sends Op-Ed to WSJ, Boasts of Tariff Policy Achievements

U.S. President Donald Trump sent an op-ed directly to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which has criticized his tariff policies, to highlight the achievements of his administration’s trade measures.

In the op-ed published by the WSJ on January 30 (local time), President Trump recalled the announcement of his reciprocal tariff policy in April of last year. He stated, “At the time, experts warned that the global economy would collapse, but what actually happened was a miracle for the U.S. economy.”

He reminded readers that mainstream media, including the WSJ, and many economic experts had predicted that tariffs would lead to a decline in stock prices, rising inflation, and a recession. He emphasized, “Now, nine months later, all those predictions have been completely proven wrong.”

President Trump cited the fact that, since the 2024 presidential election, the U.S. stock market has reached record highs 52 times, and that core inflation has dropped to an annualized rate of 1.4% over the past three months.

He particularly highlighted the success of attracting foreign investment through tariffs, mentioning the case of South Korea first. President Trump stated, “As a result of tariff negotiations, South Korean companies are investing 150 billion dollars to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry,” and evaluated this as “a measure that simultaneously strengthens U.S. manufacturing and national security.”

He also cited Japan’s participation in the construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline and the European Union’s large-scale commitment to purchase American energy as further achievements of the tariff policy.

He claimed, “Other countries are opening their markets to import U.S. agricultural products, and as key customers and investors in the U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, they are helping solidify America’s position as an AI superpower.”

President Trump said, “It has been proven that tariffs do not hinder growth, but rather promote it. Just a year ago, America was considered a ‘dead country,’ but now it has become the hottest nation in the world.”

He emphasized that the tariff policy has also achieved results in the fields of diplomacy and security. He explained that by using tariffs as leverage, the U.S. has concluded new trade agreements with major trading partners such as the EU, Japan, and South Korea. “These agreements have established more sustainable relationships with allied and partner countries, expanding military alliances into the realm of economic security,” he said.

He also argued that tariffs played a role in mediating a total of eight wars, including the conflict between India and Pakistan.

President Trump stated, “Tariffs made America great in the past, and they continue to make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous today. Critics of tariffs must now face reality.”

At the end of the op-ed, he concluded with self-praise, saying, “If the WSJ’s tariff skeptics have seen the achievements and remarkable economic indicators of the past year, perhaps it is time for them to put on a red hat that says, ‘Trump was right about everything.’”