Trump Touted Sweeping Tariff, DOGE Plans — Then Adjusted As Backlash Grew

Billionaire Elon Musk at President Donald Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday, where Trump extolled the efforts of Musk and the U.S. DOGE Service to cut government spending during a portion of his speech. (Tom Brenner/For The Washington Post)

By Jeff Stein and Dan Diamond

President Donald Trump touted his administration’s early work in his prime-time speech to Congress last week, especially on two of his top priorities: tariffs to transform the global trade order and the work of the U.S. DOGE Service to cut spending at home.

Two days later, Trump had watered down tariffs on Mexico and Canada that took effect only hours before the speech, scaling back plans for economic transformation in the face of slumping stock markets worldwide. The same day, he also put new limits on DOGE, telling his Cabinet secretaries at a closed-door meeting that they — not billionaire adviser Elon Musk and his team — had control over which workers their agencies fire.

The moves represent the latest abrupt shifts by a president whose political career has been marked by sudden reversals. They also reflect how Trump is not immune to political, economic or diplomatic pressure, even at the height of his power — with Republican control over Congress, a conservative judiciary and a far more compliant Cabinet than in his first term. As Trump intensifies his efforts to remake the U.S. government, overhaul the systems that regulate trade and international relations and even expand U.S. territory, he’s running into new sources of opposition.

“President Trump is still susceptible to some political forces,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS LLC. “The situation is very fluid.”

Disclaimer

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure & Legal Disclaimer

AI Content Policy.

To provide our readers with timely and comprehensive coverage, South Florida Reporter uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in producing certain articles and visual content.

Articles: AI may be used to assist in research, structural drafting, or data analysis. All AI-assisted text is reviewed and edited by our team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our editorial standards.

Images: Any imagery generated or significantly altered by AI is clearly marked with a disclaimer or watermark to distinguish it from traditional photography or editorial illustrations.

General Disclaimer

The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.

South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service. In no event shall South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service.

The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice. The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components.