President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he has authorized a 90-day tariff pause for all countries, except China. The 78-year-old added that he is increasing the tariffs on China to 125%. Explaining the reason behind his sudden U-turn, the president said people were ‘getting yippy and afraid’.
Trump announced a 90-pause in tariffs (Bloomberg)
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that the pause was not a result of the stock market tanking, but because other countries are seeking negotiations. About an hour later, Trump was asked why he announced a pause.
“Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line,” Trump told reporters at the White House. "They were getting yippy, you know, they were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid, unlike these champions, because we have a big job to do. No other president would have done what I did. No other president. And it had to be done.”
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He later revealed that ‘you have to have flexibility’ in policies.
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He later revealed that ‘you have to have flexibility’ in policies.
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Trump later said, “You have to have flexibility” in policies.
Mocking the president for using the term ‘yippy’, one person tweeted: "Trump explaining his decision to pause tariffs: “Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy, you know, they were getting a little bit yippy What the hell does that mean?”
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“Yippy? What the hell is Yippy? Trump really has become a bumbling old man,” another one added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
The tariff pause comes days after the White House dismissed speculation about a ‘90-day break’. The administration said that Trump will not negotiate. However, the president's announcement on Wednesday sent the stock market rocketing.
Stocks staged their best rally since 2008. The S&P 500 Index soared 9.5%, Nasdaq 100 surged 12% and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists rescinded their forecast for a US recession.
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Home/World News/Us News/'People were yippy’: Trump mocked for weird reason behind tariff U-turn
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