President Donald Trump’s latest interview with Fox Business offered a revealing look at how he views international trade—and it wasn’t reassuring.
Speaking with host Larry Kudlow, Trump recounted what he described as an “incident” with Switzerland. According to the president, he imposed a 30% tariff on Swiss imports because of a trade deficit, then raised it to 39% after a phone call with Switzerland’s “prime minister.” The reason? He said he “didn’t really like the way she talked to us.”
That admission is striking. Firstly, Switzerland doesn’t have a prime minister; he was likely referring to Swiss Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter. Secondly, trade policy is supposed to be guided by economic strategy, national interest, and careful negotiation—not personal grudges or bruised egos. Yet Trump’s own words suggest that the tariff increase was driven less by economic analysis and more by his reaction to the tone of a phone call.
Trump: ‘I Didn’t Really Like The Way She Talked To Us’
In the interview, Trump portrayed Switzerland as a country “ripping us off,” despite its reputation as a stable, high-income democracy and one of the United States’ long-standing economic partners. He mocked the country’s size and suggested its prosperity exists only because the United States “allows” it.
But the most telling moment came when he explained the tariff hike. The president described a conversation in which the Swiss leader pleaded her country’s case, repeatedly saying, “We are a small country.” Instead of seeing that as the opening of a negotiation, Trump framed it as an annoyance—and then increased the tariff because he didn’t like her tone.
This is not how serious trade policy is supposed to work. Tariffs affect businesses, supply chains, workers, and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. They can raise prices, trigger retaliation, and strain diplomatic relationships. They are not tools to be adjusted on a whim because a conversation didn’t feel respectful enough.
If anything, the anecdote reinforces a long-standing concern about Trump’s approach to governance: decisions that should be grounded in data and strategy instead appear to hinge on personal feelings. The idea that a nearly 10-point tariff increase could be motivated by irritation with another leader’s demeanor is less of a negotiating tactic and more of a glimpse into a governing style built on impulse.
Trump’s own retelling of the episode was meant to project toughness. Instead, it revealed something else: a willingness to use the levers of global trade not as instruments of national strategy, but as extensions of personal grievance.
