United States President Donald Trump amplified his controversial claims regarding the use of economic leverage in foreign policy, stating that tariffs have been a critical, non-military tool for settling international disputes.
In a heavily-worded post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump claimed a remarkable success rate for his trade strategy in preventing global conflict.
“I have stopped 5 of the eight WARS directly because of the threat of Tariffs if they don’t stop fighting or, better yet, if they start,” Trump wrote.
The President has often cited the threat of tariffs as a tool of global diplomacy, most recently focusing on the ceasefire achieved between India and Pakistan in May this year.
The India-Pakistan Truce Claim
President Trump’s latest remarks come just days after he once again claimed that a direct threat of 350% tariffs was the mechanism that compelled India and Pakistan to cease hostilities during a tense military standoff.
While the President has repeatedly asserted that his intervention, which he claims involved telephone calls with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, brought about the peace, India has consistently denied any third-party mediation. New Delhi maintains that the understanding to cease hostilities followed direct military-level talks between the two nations’ Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).
Tariffs as Economic Engine
Beyond diplomacy, the President emphasized the massive financial benefits of his trade policy, arguing that tariffs are directly responsible for the US’s economic strength.
“We are taking in TRILLIONS of Dollars in Tariffs and Investment Dollars from foreign lands because of Tariffs,” Trump stated, adding that the USA is currently the “richest, strongest, and most respected” it has ever been.
The President used the post to attack his predecessor, Joe Biden, over inflation and to laud the performance of the stock market, which recently hit an all-time high. He concluded by suggesting that the US’s current status is a result of “November 5th” (the 2024 Presidential election date) and the “tariffs.”
The Trump administration’s tariffs have substantially increased customs duties collected, reaching nearly $195 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, according to official figures. However, economists widely argue that these duties are primarily borne by American consumers and importers, not foreign governments, and that the total collected is still far short of the “trillions of dollars” claimed by the President.