Economic and political experts are panning President Donald Trump’s tariff “deal” with the UK, saying it doesn’t live up to his hype.

The President teased out the announcement Wednesday, at first not mentioning the alleged deal was with the UK.

“Big News Conference tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M., The Oval Office, concerning a MAJOR TRADE DEAL WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A BIG, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED, COUNTRY. THE FIRST OF MANY!!!”

At 5:42 AM, building up the excitement, he dropped this post: “This should be a very big and exciting day for the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Press Conference at The Oval Office, 10A.M. Thank you!”

READ MORE: ‘Most Corrupt Presidency’: State Dept. Acting as Musk’s Starlink ‘Sales Force’ Critics Say

Except the United Kingdom did not appear to agree.

“Until as recently as this week, British officials remained skeptical that a deal would be signed off imminently, and some were taken by surprise by Trump’s announcement,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “Some trade observers expected more of an outline than a fully hashed-out deal.”

Critics were quick to dismiss the President’s deal as lacking in substance.

“Trump’s so called ‘trade deal’ with UK is just like his ‘great’ healthcare plan: It’s the CONCEPT of a plan,” declared SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah. “LITERALLY. Per reporting if you read past the headlines There is no deal – just a framework to start talks. But Trump knows the sheep of corporate media will cover this as a deal. It’s not.”

The Journal also noted that “U.K. officials said the pact won’t be a comprehensive trade agreement and will instead focus on reducing tariffs in specific sectors. They said some details remain yet to be finalized, which could mean further talks in the future.”

READ MORE: ‘Barely Literate’: Education Secretary’s ‘Deranged’ Letter Gets Major Red Ink Corrections

Bloomberg UK’s political editor Alex Wickham framed it this way: “UK providing a polite reality check to Trump’s posts about a ‘full and comprehensive’ deal UK-US deal will set out general terms of agreement: UK official Will set framework for further negotiations: UK official Focused on specific sectors, not traditional FTA: UK official.”

And doubling down, WSJ added that the “expected pact will be a far cry from the comprehensive trade deal Downing Street previously sought to negotiate with the U.S. after Britain quit the European Union a few years ago.”

Calling it “a photo op, with little macroeconomic significance,” Professor of Economics and Public Policy Justin Wolfers offered this explanation:

“Trump’s “big” trade deal is with the UK:
– It’s a framework not a deal
– They’re our 11th largest trading partner
– They’re only 3% of US trade (97% to go)
– They *already* charge average tariffs of only 1% (limited upside)”

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden commented, “About 2 percent of our imports come from Great Britain. So put me down as kind of skeptical that there is much there, there.”

Hedge fund founder and chief investment officer Spencer Hakimian observed: “So after 4 weeks of negotiating with our closest ally, whom we run a *trade surplus* with, all we were able to accomplish was a continuation of the 10% tariff rate with them? How are we going to possibly negotiate anything substantive with China, Europe, Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc.? The gimmick president doing gimmicky things. And meanwhile our economy will pay the price for his desire to see himself on TV.”

Brendan Duke, a self-described “Tax/budget nerd” for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) noted: “The Liberation Day reciprocal tariff on UK imports was 10% and it’s now going to be 10%. Art of the Deal folks.”

READ MORE: ‘Pushed Up to the Edge of the Cliff’: GOP Proposals Would Kick Millions Off Health Care

Image via Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has specifically directed State Department officials to pressure countries challenged by President Donald Trump’s global tariff war to approve deals with Starlink, the satellite internet company led by top Trump donor Elon Musk, according to an exclusive Washington Post report.

“As the government of Lesotho negotiates a trade deal with the United States, it hopes that licensing Starlink demonstrates goodwill and intent to welcome U.S. businesses,” an internal State Department memo obtained by the Post states.

Lesotho is one of more than a half-dozen nations that have approved or are in the process of approving deals with Starlink in efforts to fend off President Trump’s tariffs. There are two distribution deals in India, and “at least partial accommodations with Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam,” likely among others.

One State Department cable signed by Secretary Rubio was an “action request” that cited Starlink “by name” and argued that “U.S. government advocacy is essential to maintain and extend their global ‘first-mover’ advantage.”

READ MORE: ‘Barely Literate’: Education Secretary’s ‘Deranged’ Letter Gets Major Red Ink Corrections

The documents that the Post obtained “do not show that the Trump team has explicitly demanded favors for Starlink in exchange for lower tariffs.” But the direct pressure campaign comes “at a moment when the White House is calling for wide-ranging talks on trade.”

One of the people briefed by officials in India told the Post, “It’s not likely to be an explicit element of the trade negotiations with the U.S., but the Indian side sees this as an important lubricant that facilitates a deal.”

The U.S. Department of State did not appear to deny efforts to support and promote Starlink.

“Starlink is an American-made product that has been game-changing in helping remote areas around the world gain internet connectivity,” the State Dept. said in a statement. “Any patriotic American should want to see an American company’s success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors.”

Growing adoption of Musk’s Starlink had not previously gone unnoticed.

Last week, in a letter to President Trump, Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into Elon Musk’s Starlink deals, accusing the billionaire of “the possibility of self-dealing” while in government, NBC News reported. “13 senators led by Mark Warner, D-Va., wrote that Starlink seemed to make sudden breakthroughs this year in at least five countries that previously resisted giving the company footholds there.”

The lawmakers alleged that “Musk is reportedly taking advantage of his government role to coerce concessions from foreign governments for his own benefit, including unfettered market access as well as contracts with his companies, in exchange for favorable treatment by the U.S. government.”

And last month, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow (video below), citing a Wall Street Journal report, noted that “Vietnam has been trying to fend off harsh treatment under Trump’s tariffs by number one, buying American jets. Number two, allowing the Starlink Internet service that’s owned by Donald Trump’s top campaign donor, Elon Musk, to operate inside their country.”

“And number three, here’s the kicker: Vietnam also ‘decided to accelerate the approvals for a $1.5 billion Trump resort in Vietnam.'”

Meanwhile, critics are speaking out over the State Department’s reported role.

READ MORE: ‘Pushed Up to the Edge of the Cliff’: GOP Proposals Would Kick Millions Off Health Care

“More evidence of President Trump’s soft corruption,” claimed the X account for Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats. “Trump is using his power to enrich himself and his friends — allowing Elon Musk to use the State Department as a salesforce for Starlink globally.”

The X account for House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats added, “And there it is. Trump is telling Americans to pay more and buy less because of his reckless tariffs, @SecRubio is apparently leveraging them to make Elon Musk richer. This looks like one big grift for Trump and his MAGA billionaire backers.”

The Atlantic’s David Frum remarked: “The second Trump administration is the most corrupt presidency in American history, more corrupt than the next runner-up: the first Trump administration.”

“This is a huge new scandal,” alleged U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX). “Trump and Musk are using tariffs as leverage to get other countries to buy from Musk’s companies. Working families pay $4,000+ more a year so Musk gets new deals. They get richer. Everyone else gets screwed.”

“Everything is a shake down,” charged former prosecutor, public defender, and Democratic Media consultant David Doak.

“This is what a corrupt oligarchy looks like,” wrote Melanie D’Arrigo, VP of legislation for the NY National Organization for Women.

Public Citizen, the progressive consumer advocacy group and think tank, wrote that “Trump is using official trade policy to promote Musk’s satellite business Starlink. This is a glaring conflict of interest. Government policy should be designed to benefit the American people, not abused for personal tech bro profiteering.”

“Corruption pure and simple!” exclaimed Michael Nelson, a self-described tech policy wonk.

“Clearly the best way for countries to evade tariffs is by licensing Starlink and paying for it in Trump meme coins,” snarked The Bulwark’s Sam Stein.

Jonathan Cohn, the policy director for the nonprofit Progressive Mass called it “shameless mob-boss corruption.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

ICYMI — Maddow on the WSJ saying Vietnam is looking to let in Musk’s Internet company Starlink and Greenlight a $1.5 Billion Trump resort to get favorable tariff treatment.

Almost like this was always the point. The Golden Age of Corruption. pic.twitter.com/PpdqPPijXc

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) April 20, 2025

READ MORE: During Aviation Crisis Trump Is Shopping for Used Luxury Jet to Replace Air Force One

Image via Reuters

President Donald Trump had for weeks been claiming that his administration was in talks with China over his tariff war, while also claiming that President Xi Jinping had called him — a claim China disputed. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later admitted that the administration had not been talking to China, but talks are now planned for this weekend in Switzerland.

“China, we have not engaged in negotiations with as of yet,” the Treasury Secretary said on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.

Trump imposed a massive 145% tariff on Chinese imports, a source of contention among the Chinese and many Americans.

On Tuesday, Bessent was asked on Fox News if it was “likely” that he would be able to go back to Trump and say, “to show good faith, we could drop this down in the interim to 50%?”

READ MORE: ‘Pushed Up to the Edge of the Cliff’: GOP Proposals Would Kick Millions Off Health Care

And while he said, “I’m not gonna give away our strategy,” Bessent also said, “look, everything’s on the table. It’s up to the president at the end of the day.”

Ahead of the talks with China, President Trump Wednesday afternoon was asked by reporters if he would consider lowering the high tariff “to get China to the negotiating table?”

“No,” was the president’s one-word response.

“Trump has defended the 145% tariffs on Chinese imports, claiming China ‘deserves it’ and would likely absorb the costs,” Yahoo Finance reported Wednesday. “But those comments contrast with efforts inside the administration to consider phased tariff reductions and revive trade talks.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

hours after Bessent left the door open to lowering tariffs on China, Trump says he’s not open to pulling back tariffs on China pic.twitter.com/XALqGUv6jM

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 7, 2025

READ MORE: During Aviation Crisis Trump Is Shopping for Used Luxury Jet to Replace Air Force One