An innocuous White House circular has sparked wild speculation around the globe. According to the notification, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to make an announcement at 2 PM ET, which translates to 11:30 PM IST tonight. The circular provides no details regarding the possible agenda of the announcement. This has triggered a frenzy of discussions online, ranging from a key update on the Ukraine deal to the likelihood of more tariffs, or even the possibility of him stepping down from the post of POTUS. Surprisingly, the mercurial politician, known for his frequent all-caps social media posts filled with exclamation marks, has remained silent on the upcoming schedule.
Anything on tariffs?
In the past 24 hours, there has been a flurry of comments from the US regarding India and the ongoing tariff friction. Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Tianjin, geopolitical experts began dissecting what the gathering—representing 40 percent of the world’s population—means for the tariff-obsessed Trump administration.
It appears that the 2025 edition of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ruffled feathers in Washington.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump vented his frustration against New Delhi, writing:
"What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest ‘client,’ but we sell them very little. They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.”
So far, New Delhi has not reacted to the remarks.
An Associated Press report says a threat looms on the horizon that Trump may impose 200 percent tariffs on pharmaceuticals. However, nothing official has been announced about this bitter pill. Jefferies analyst David Windley, quoted by AP, noted in a recent report that “tariffs that don’t kick in until the back half of 2026 may not be felt until 2027 or 2028 due to stockpiling.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also remarked that the rift between India and the US is short-lived and that both countries will resolve the issue soon.
Trump resignation?
Since the photos of bruises and makeup on Trump’s hands went viral, there has been speculation about his health. The 79-year-old, who has officially been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, has always maintained that he is fit—at least fitter than “Old Joe (Biden).” But since the White House circular emerged online, several users have been asking the same question: Will Trump step down? On Elon Musk-owned X, many podcasters and members of the general public have remarked on Trump’s possible decision regarding his stint in the Oval Office.
Trump death news
The mystery announcement has also garnered lot of interest as it comes after news around Trump's death flooded social media last week. It all started when a Simpsons clip began circulating on Instagram. The narration of the clip said that the "the President is expected to die in August 2025 after a severe chest illness."
Ukraine peace deal?
Since the talks with European leaders at the White House, there has been no tangible development on the Russia-Ukraine war due to the US’s reluctance to provide security guarantees. Trump had also said that there should be trilateral discussions between him, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Many feel that there may be something on this front, with the venue of the trilateral talks likely to be announced.
However, it should be noted that these are still just speculations, and there is no buzz from Washington hinting at what may be on Trump’s agenda. The jury is still out!
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