Donald Trump with a mountain of executive orders. The first ones were signed by around 15,000 people. The next ones were in the Oval Office of the White House, while he informally answered questions from journalists. One of those present asked him about the low defense spending of NATO countries like France and Spain, but Trump singled out Spain, saying that its spending is “very low” and raising the specter of “100% tariffs.” However, perhaps confused by the S in South Africa, this threat was made by wrongly framing Spain among the BRICS, a group of powers that has proposed an alternative global currency to the dollar that the US dollar rejects outright.
The response was especially confusing. “[El gasto militar de] Spain is very low,” Trump answered to the question about countries that dedicate less than 5% of their gross domestic product to defense. But then he pointed out that Spain is a BRICS country, an acronym formed with the initials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, emerging countries in whose group Spain is not included.
“Are they a BRICS country? Well, they are a BRICS country. Spain. Do you know what a BRICS country is? You’ll find out. But if the BRICS countries want to do that [quizá en referencia a su moneda alternativa]okay, but we are going to put at least a 100% tariff on the business they do with the United States. Do you know what BRICS is? You know what I’m saying. So this is not even a threat. In fact, since I made that statement, Biden said ‘Well, they’ve got us up to our necks.’ And I said: ‘No, we have them up to their necks in water,’ was Trump’s phrase, very confusing, just after highlighting that Spanish spending on defense was very low.
The journalist insisted on whether Spain risked 100% tariffs. And Trump insisted: “As a BRICS country, yes. They will have a 100% tariff if they even continue to do what they thought. And therefore they will give it up immediately, so China will give up on it.” Initially, the reference to the BRICS came after a question about NATO and military spending, so it might seem that Trump’s response singled out Spain as a member of that group due to its lack of commitment to the defense of the West. However, later it seemed that it was a mistake by the president, perhaps because of the S in South Africa, and that he was not listening to the journalist, but rather talking about the project of an alternative currency to the BRICS dollar, which had nothing to do with with the question.
They insisted that he clarify why he had referred to a country in the European Union as a member of the BRICS, but it was also not clear if Trump understood it. He said that the BRICS are a group of “six or seven” countries that are trying to “play it against the United States.” “But if they do, they are not going to be happy with it,” he added, as if still talking about that global currency project.
Mexico and Canada, in February
The president also set a new date for the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada if they do not stop the entry of immigrants and drugs across the border. He indicated that he could impose them on February 1, in just 10 days. In his initial threat as president-elect, he said he would take that action “on day one.” To put a universal 10% tariff on all countries, he said, the United States is not ready yet, but he maintained the idea: “We could do it quickly because all countries take advantage of the United States.”
The new president has not approved but continues to use trade policy as a dialectical and pressure weapon. During the campaign he said that “tariff” was the most beautiful word in the dictionary. This Monday he demoted it and put it below “God”, “religion” and “love”. For Trump, they remain one of his favorite arguments.
During the questions, between the signing of the decree and the signing of the decree, he also referred to the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, as “governor”, as if the country were another state of the United States.
During his signing at the White House, Trump was also asked about Greenland. “Greenland is a wonderful place that we need for international security. And I am sure that Denmark will agree. I think it costs them a lot of money to maintain it, preserve it. The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark. I think they are happy with us. We had my son and representatives sent there two weeks ago, and they are just like us. So let’s see what happens. But Greenland is necessary, not for us. It is necessary for international security. There are Russian ships everywhere. You have Chinese ships everywhere, warships, and it cannot be maintained,” he answered.
