'The operation is over, the patient lived': Trump calls tariff move a 'success' as global markets reel

United States President Donald Trump

Hours after announcing his sweeping “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social platform, saying that the “operation is over”, and the “patient lived, and his healing”.

Acknowledging the shock brought by his tariff onslaught, Trump said the US economy would emerge "far stronger," even as world markets tumbled.

"THE OPERATION IS OVER! THE PATIENT LIVED, AND IS HEALING. THE PROGNOSIS IS THAT THE PATIENT WILL BE FAR STRONGER, BIGGER, BETTER, AND MORE RESILIENT THAN EVER BEFORE," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform less than an hour before Wall Street opened for trading.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also tried to reassure US markets, telling CNN: "To anyone on Wall Street this morning, I would say, 'Trust in President Trump.' This is a president who is doubling down on his proven economic formula."

She said the tariffs -- which include 10 percent across the board levies on imports and far steeper barriers on dozens of specific countries, including the top US trading partners -- meant "the United States is no longer going to be cheated by foreign nations."

Leavitt appeared to rule out the possibility of Trump pulling back any of the tariffs before they are implemented over the coming weekend.

"The president made it clear yesterday this is not a negotiation," she said.

"He's always willing to pick up the phone to answer calls, but he laid out the case yesterday for why we are doing it," she said.

"These countries around the world have had 70 years to do the right thing by the American people and they have chosen not to. They have ripped off American workers. They have taken our jobs overseas. The president is putting an end to that yesterday."

The tariffs provoked dismay, threats of countermeasures and urgent calls for talks to find ways to rescind the stiff new import taxes imposed on goods from countries around the globe.

But responses Thursday were measured, highlighting a lack of appetite for an outright trade war with the world's biggest economy.

Trump said Wednesday the import taxes, ranging from 10 per cent to 49 per cent, would do to US trading partners what they have long done to the US He maintains they will draw factories and jobs back to the United States.

“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” he said. “But it is not going to happen anymore.” Trump's announcement of a new 20 per cent tariff on the European Union drew a sharp rebuke from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said it was a “major blow to the world economy.” “The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe,” von der Leyen said. Groceries, transport and medicines will cost more, she said while visiting Uzbekistan. “And this is hurting, in particular, the most vulnerable citizens.” Von der Leyen held off, however, from announcing new retaliatory measures and underlined that the EU was ready to negotiate with the US.