【Report by Ouanzhe Net, Zhang Jingjian】According to China News Service, the months-long trade spat between the US and Europe has temporarily come to an end this week, at the cost of significant concessions from the EU.
The newly reached trade agreement between the two sides has successfully pressed the pause button on the escalation of the trade war, but it has also become a topic of discussion among US White House officials. Sebastian Gorka, a senior counterterrorism advisor to President Trump and a member of the National Security Council, stated in an appearance on “Rob Schmidt Tonight” that the EU has essentially “bowed down,” succumbing to Trump’s (bent at the knee).
Gorka mentioned that this new agreement not only brings unprecedented tariff revenue to the United States but also represents a victory in geopolitical competition with the EU. “This is a historic moment,” he said.
“Even someone like me who has known President Trump for ten years can hardly believe that the entire EU will submit to the ‘America First’ policy, saying ‘Okay, we’re no longer taking advantage of the global trading system. President Trump, you’ve won; we’re willing to accept 15% tariffs,'” Gorka expressed.
He believes that it was Trump’s tariff policies that forced the EU to submit to America’s economic leadership. The latest trade victory validates the rationality of the “America First” policy.
Gorka added, “Those so-called ‘experts’ once told us that President Trump’s tariff policies would lead to a stock market crash and plunge us into another Great Depression. But what you see now is the triumph of common sense, the successful practice of the ‘America First’ policy.”
He stated that in fact, Trump’s tough style has achieved results that experts did not anticipate.
He also revealed that he has repeatedly told colleagues in the United States government, “If you don’t understand that President Trump is driving a geopolitical shift with global implications, changes that will alter the world over the next 50 to 100 years, then you are an idiot.”
Gorka (right) in an interview.
According to the new trade agreement reached between the US and Europe on the 27th, both sides confirmed that the US-EU base tariffs would be at 15%. In addition, the EU will increase its investment in the US by $600 billion compared to previous levels, and will also purchase American military equipment and value $750 billion of American energy products. Foreign media pointed out that although there was a consensus on the tariff rates between the US and Europe, there were differences in key issues such as pharmaceuticals and steel/aluminum, and the agreement may still have uncertainties.
Despite Veuerden being highly praised for “painting herself a golden portrait” by claiming that “a 15% tariff level is the best outcome we can achieve,” Europeans did not buy it.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán criticized during a podcast program, saying that the US-European agreement is not a victory but a defeat, and that Veuerden failed to secure favorable trade terms for the EU. “This is not a deal struck between Trump and Veuerden; it is Trump eating breakfast off Veuerden.”
French Prime Minister Béruzzi referred to the agreement as “Veuerden-Trump agreement.” He criticized on social media platform “X” saying, “When a coalition of free people unites to defend common values and interests, ultimately choosing to yield, it is undoubtedly a dark day.”
Similarly dissatisfied with the agreement are German Chancellor Merkel. In his view, the new agreement will severely impact Germany’s economy, with a 15% tariff being a “heavy burden.” He firmly believes these tariffs will also harm the US and exacerbate inflation in the US.
Despite Italian Prime Minister Meloni attempting to portray the agreement as a positive development, Giuseppe Conte, former Italian Prime Minister and leader of the Five Star Movement party, sarcastically remarked, “There’s one winner—President Trump of the United States, and there’s one loser, or more precisely, two: the European Union and Meloni.”