[Report by OanChen, Observatorist Network] “Lutnick—Trump’s Trade Negotiations Head.” On July 21st, the New Yorker, citing multiple sources, published a lengthy report on U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Lutnick.
“A messenger,” “not as smart as he seems,” “talkative,” “the most Trumpian member in the cabinet,”… These are the descriptions given by government officials who have worked with Lutnick when asked about his views on Lutnick.
Despite mixed opinions from the outside world regarding Lutnick’s performance so far, he considers himself to be the “Chief Negotiator” for Trump. According to Lutnick, who is now 62 years old, President Trump has called him almost every night around 1 AM, sometimes just for chatting or discussing sports, and sometimes seeking feedback on how he performs in front of the media.
The report also revealed that after Trump announced the so-called “equal tariffs” on April 2nd, the calculation method of tariff rates was mocked online. That evening, Trump angrily called Lutnick, asking him how the tariff rates were determined. The report stated that even though Lutnick was not entirely clear on the matter, he had to take the blame.
“Lutnick believes he understands Trump best”
Lutnick told the New Yorker that he and Trump talk almost every night, usually around 1 AM when he is just getting into bed.
They discuss “big issues,” such as tariffs, but also “trivial matters,” including sports events, people, and dining experiences. For example, you eat with whom, what kind of person this person is, can you trust what they did, what kind of TV show it is, what I saw on TV, what you think the person said on TV, how I think my press conference went…
Lutnick added, “Trump also calls others at night.”
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Trump and Lutnick on Social Media
The report states that Trump once said, “I enjoy trading, preferably big deals. That’s what I love about it.” It seems that Lutnick also adheres to a similar principle. Lutnick primarily regards himself as Trump’s “Chief Deal Mesher.”
During an interview, Lutnick pointed to his shirt and pants and said, “If the shirt I buy is made in Italy or China, it doesn’t benefit us. Because I’m spending money but not hiring anyone. But if the jeans I buy are American-made, that’s great.”
Lutnick believes that he and Trump share “clear thinking, unique in Washington.” He stated, “Among these people, except for Trump, no one has my business experience. I know him too well; I know where ice hockey will slide (i.e., how things will develop).”
According to The New Yorker, Lutnick believes that his ideas align with Trump’s philosophy, not just on tariffs but also on other political decisions. He mentioned, “If I were part of the Biden administration, they would look at me like I came from another planet. But this president wants to make changes. So after I present my ideas, he says, ‘Let’s start.’”
Lutnick values the idea of selling US citizenship for $5 million per person, known as the “Trump Card.” If he sells twenty million cards, each for $5 million, they could earn a trillion dollars. A trillion! You might say, ‘This sounds like government, because it sounds smart.’ But you only want the results, right? That’s obvious common sense.”
Lutnick discussed his recent visit to Saudi Arabia. He said that during his visit to the World Heritage site of Tuwaiq, he began selling the “Trump Card” which had not yet been officially launched.
“A senior leader asked me, ‘Why are you holding your phone?’ I replied, ‘I’m selling cards.’ Everyone I meet wants to buy this card.”
The New Yorker describes Lutnick as the most “Trumpian” member of Trump’s cabinet from many perspectives. He blatantly showcased Trump’s mercantilism instinct and keen sense of brand marketing, comparing the operation of the government to conducting transactions in a splendid room. Lutnick liked Trump’s style of doing things, even though it annoyed others in Washington. For example, Trump once hosted dinner for the highest bidder, accepted high-priced gifts from Qatar, and talked about buying Greenland.
“Lutnick and Trump seem to both view the government as a vast ledger,” the report described, “Initially, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) was one side, desperately saving money; Lutnick’s Department of Commerce was the other, scouring for wealth. Despite the fact that DOGE and Musk eventually ended with an unsavory conclusion, Lutnick still insisted he wasn’t worried about whether he could continue fulfilling his promises.”
“To the rest of the White House, Lutnick was just a messenger,”
On April 2nd, the Trump administration gathered at the Rose Garden in the White House for a ceremony called “Liberation Day,” where they announced what was supposed to be a “countervailing tariffs.” The report mentioned that Lutnick prepared a poster board with the final tariff rates printed on it. A government source said, “He and Trump both enjoy demonstrations, they like using visual aids.”
In fact, the so-called “countervailing tariffs” caused chaos in the US and global stock markets. Mainstream economists warned that these measures could push the United States into an economic recession, leading to a crash in stocks and the dollar.
Furthermore, Trump’s tariff calculation was ridiculed for its peculiarity and lack of clarity—they divided the trade deficit between the United States and a certain country by dividing the total imports from that country by two.
A New York financial expert stated, “Their tariff levels lack clear expression or inherent logic. If you were to do something like this at Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, or Wall Street, everyone would be fired.”
It was reported that later that evening, Trump angrily called Lutnick to inquire about how the tariff amount was determined. Although Lutnick himself was uncertain, Trump told him to defend them on television regardless.
“Even if Lutnick really didn’t know what happened, he should take responsibility,” the report wrote.
The White House claimed that the Economic Advisory Committee calculated the tariff rates. However, some speculated that the person responsible for the calculations was U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Immelt. Others blamed Trump’s long-term advisor and trade hawk Peter Navarro. A participant in the review told The New Yorker that he still does not know where the final figures originated and described these calculations as “junior high math.”
The report mentioned that after the “Liberation Day” on April 2nd, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin specifically flew to Mar-a-Lago to urge Trump to suspend tariffs.
In the eyes of White House staff, both Mnuchin and Lutnick loyally defended Trump’s most cherished cause. However, Mnuchin seemed to have a more realistic understanding of loyalty’s limits. An insider said, “Mnuchin tried to temper Trump’s protectionist impulse with a wise explanation. Lutnick, on the other hand, is an immature loyalist, encouraging the president’s worst instincts.”
On May 30th, Bessent and Lutnick attended a meeting at the White House.
A source close to the government mentioned that Lutnick’s influence was clearly attractive to Trump. “But the presence of Bessent in the government gives us peace of mind, as there is a ‘smart guy’ on our side.”
Another person closely associated with the government revealed: “Many people in the White House believe Lutnick has a bad reputation, so when you need a bad guy, people will point to him. He’s not considered a real decision-maker. He’s just an errand boy.”
“Lutnick bullied during negotiations but gained little”
According to The New Yorker, Lutnick was responsible for leading the United States in trade negotiations with its trading partners.
During negotiations with representatives from other countries, Lutnick displayed a bullying style. A negotiator from another country said: “You could feel that he was considering tariffs, but also using other means to punish us. He would hint at threats, saying we might not be able to obtain American technology, and they might hurt us.”
The representative and his team believed their job was to make Lutnick believe they were being pushed around. He said: “We had to convince Lutnick and relay it to Trump—he successfully deceived us and forced us to make concessions.”
Another negotiator who had dealt with Lutnick told The New Yorker: “During the negotiations, you basically listened to him talk endlessly about how Trump views the world, and everything we do is wrong. He was aggressive, talking non-stop, never stopping.”
After the “equal tariffs” caused a global stock market shock on April 2nd, Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariff implementation and vowed to reach 90 trade agreements within that period.
However, by the deadline, only the United Kingdom and Vietnam had reached trade agreements with the United States, while China had signed a preliminary “framework” document for trade. Currently, Trump has ordered an extension of the “countervailing duty” moratorium until August 1.
The New Yorker noted that since “Liberation Day,” the overall U.S. trade deficit has actually worsened, and inflation is rising. However, a New York financial expert stated that the impact of tariffs on the American economy might not be as profound as the damage to America’s global reputation.
“Trump’s negotiation style does not expect either side to establish lasting relationships,” said the financial expert. “He employs aggressive real estate strategies on the international stage. We must collaborate with all these countries on other issues. The real risk lies in what happens if you treat your adversaries as one-time trading partners.”