President Donald Trump unleashed a historic tariff blitz on what he’s now calling “Liberation Day.” The result? A tidal wave of outrage and economic fear. Markets trembled. Allies recoiled. Experts warned of chaos.

Trump announced a 10% tariff on all imports from 150 countries. But 25 nations face even steeper charges. The European Union now pays 20%. China gets hit with 34%—adding up to 54% when existing duties kick in on April 9.

CNN: The Biggest Economic Shake-Up in 80 Years

CNN called the move a global “economic reset.” Anchors marveled at the scale. Commentators said the world hadn’t seen anything this bold since World War II ended. For Trump, they said, it’s the “riskiest bet of his presidency.”

The stakes? The U.S. economy. And the global financial system.

Wall Street Journal: Welcome to the Age of Protectionism

The Wall Street Journal slammed the announcement as the start of a dangerous era. Trump, it claimed, is launching an all-out assault on free trade. The goal, according to the paper, is to completely restructure the U.S. economy and the world’s trade order.

The impact, they warned, could spiral far beyond U.S. borders.

Los Angeles Times: A Massive Tax Hike in Disguise

The Los Angeles Times didn’t hold back. Trump’s tariffs, they said, were nothing more than a hidden tax hike. The burden, they argued, will fall squarely on working Americans.

Companies will pass the added costs to customers. That means higher prices for almost everything.

Jake Colvin, head of the National Foreign Trade Council, backed that up. “From groceries to home repairs to auto insurance,” he said, “Americans will pay more.” He warned that building and fixing homes could get significantly pricier.

Real estate firm Redfin also chimed in. They fear new housing construction may plummet as costs soar.

Unions and Workers Cheer the Move

But not everyone is angry. Some industry groups and labor unions welcomed the tariffs. Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, praised the move.

He said the tariffs would “put American workers and manufacturers first.” For blue-collar communities, he added, this was a long-overdue course correction.

Markets React as Trump Dodges a Crash

Trump made the announcement after U.S. markets closed, hoping to avoid split-screen images of crashing stocks and waving flags. But futures immediately sank.

The Daily Mail reported fears of a “market meltdown.” Analysts expect U.S. stocks to drop up to 3% on Thursday.

Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities went further. “This is economic Armageddon,” he warned.

Mixed Signals from the UK and EU

Not all responses were fire and brimstone. In the UK, the reaction was calmer. Trump limited Britain’s tariffs to 10%, which surprised many. “It could have been worse,” one UK official told the BBC.

Meanwhile, in Germany, the reaction was grim. Handelsblatt estimated that the tariffs could cost the German auto industry alone over 11 billion euros. The shockwaves may spread to other European sectors in the coming months.

New York Post Echoes Trump’s Optimism

Interestingly, the New York Post, often aligned with Trump, remained upbeat. Its headline simply read: “Liberation Day.” But even the Post issued a warning. American markets, it said, now face their biggest test yet.

Economists agree. If other countries retaliate, a global trade war could erupt. Consumers could be the biggest losers. Inflation could spike. And supply chains could unravel again, just as they began to stabilize.

Trump: ‘America Will Win This Time’

Still, Trump doubled down. “For decades, America was robbed blind,” he said at the press conference. “Now we fight back.”

He called the new tariffs a declaration of economic independence. “No more global freeloaders,” he shouted. “No more weakness.”

Trump argued that America was once strongest when tariffs were high—before income taxes took over in 1913. He claimed this shift had weakened the nation and led to the Great Depression.

Historians disagreed. They said U.S. growth during that earlier period came from immigration, industrial expansion, and land grabs—not tariffs alone.

Reaction to Trump Tariffs Remains Deeply Divided

The global reaction to Trump tariffs is still unfolding. Some call it bold. Others call it reckless. Either way, the effects will be felt worldwide—at supermarkets, in factories, and on Wall Street.

For now, one thing is clear: Trump has reshaped U.S. trade policy again. The question is whether the world will adapt—or strike back.