Trump celebrates duties as a 'liberation' with grand ceremony at the White House

A grand ceremony to celebrate Liberation Day, worthy of the high-sounding name given by Donald Trump to the announcement of the grand design of tariffs with which he wants to rewrite the rules of world trade under the flag of America First. A ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House, the first of his new term. In the presence of the full team of his administration, the ministers who are rallying around his controversial strategy and sometimes trying to refine it.

Not a simple executive order, therefore, signed under the spotlight but indoors, in the Oval Office. Rather a pomp and circumstance event, designated by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for the afternoon, designed to mark the day in Washington and find echoes in foreign capitals. Designed to become one of his most influential legacies.

Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt summarised the president's message on the trade crackdown, which defies criticism from economists, appeals from foreign leaders, and corporate fears, as follows: "A tariff plan that will undo the unfair practices that have robbed our country for decades. He pointed out that no exemptions are even planned at the moment, because "it's time for a president to make a historic change to do what's right for the American people".

It is a plan, to be sure, with careful choreography to be taken seriously, right from the date chosen. That 2 April which a superstitious Trump preferred to the more traditional first day of the month, to chase away even the doubt of exaggerations or jokes. 'I didn't want to risk not being believed,' he explained repeatedly, describing his strategy as 'permanent' and tariffs as 'the most beautiful word in the vocabulary'.

Ambitious are certainly the objectives evoked, which are manifold and will reportedly find their way into the event. Strengthening US-made products, wringing economic and political concessions from partners, filling government coffers with proceeds that can finance tax cuts and even one-off refunds to Americans. All by exercising emergency economic powers of the president to settle transactions in the face of 'threats' from abroad. Adding the Liberation Day duties to others on specific sectors, the White House dreams of raking in up to $6 trillion over ten years.