#TariffsPause

"Fearing a catastrophe".. Sources reveal to CNN the reason behind Trump's temporary suspension of tariffs

(CNN) -- The surprising decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to retreat from his comprehensive tariff plan, by announcing a suspension for 3 months, revealed the extent of his ability to withstand political pain: one week.

On Wednesday, Trump said about the increasing criticism that poured onto the White House over the past week: "They were screaming, they were screaming a little, and they felt a little fear".

Even for a president known for his political whims, his announcement on Wednesday to suspend the long-awaited mutual tariffs for 3 months is a stunning retreat from a plan that just a day earlier he seemed to fully support, and this came at a time when his trade representative was testifying on Capitol Hill about the benefits of tariffs, seemingly unaware of the suspension decision.

It seems that the days of pressure from his Republican colleagues, businessmen, and even close friends did not move Trump, who insisted last week that "my policies will never change".

But by Wednesday, it became clear that the campaign to persuade Trump to change course would not calm down as it turned out, after a sharp sell-off in U.S. government bond markets, which are usually a safe haven for investors, that the economic ramifications of Trump's strategy could be catastrophic and worse than expected.