Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@axiang67
Topics: Donald Trump, Money, Politics, US News, World News, Tariffs
Lucy Devine
Topics: Donald Trump, Money, Politics, US News, World News, Tariffs
A video mocking President Donald Trump's new tariff announcement has been released online and people are divided.
Trump's 'Liberation Day' global tariffs have deepened tensions across the globe, having tanked the stock market and fanned the flames of a trade war.
And now, following Trump's announcement yesterday (9 April) that he would be slapping China with even more tariffs, a clip has surfaced on TikTok appearing to mock the president.
The clip, which was shared on TikTok account, @axiang67, appears to show a group of AI-generated workers in factories undertaking manual labour work, with Chinese music playing in the background.
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The video is captioned: "Make America great again～#tariff #america."
Each worker in the clip appears to be exhausted and unhappy, sewing garments on machines and building smartphones.
At the end of the clip, the scene fades away and the slogan 'Make America Great Again' can be seen.
People were convinced that the AI clip was mocking the tariffs, focusing on the idea that manufacturing jobs could return to the US following the tariff news.
One person commented: "iPhones are about to cost $5000 and come with no charger."
While another added: "Maybe manufacturing comes back—but without the jobs. Even in China they’re automating all the processes."
And a third said: "This would be the best case scenario. the reality is AI and robots will make everything there won't be ANY jobs."
Others disagreed, with another writing: "I see people working, earning a living to support their families."
The tariff war between the US and China has escalated this week, with Trump threatening to double the tariffs to a staggering total of 104 percent.
Trump initially announced the global tariffs last week in what he branded as 'Liberation Day'.
"We've been waiting for a long time, April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to 'Make America Wealthy Again'," he said.
During the announcement, Trump whipped out a 'Reciprocal Tariffs' chart to the audience, where he revealed exactly what tariffs he planned on rolling out for each given country.
At the time, China was hit with a 54 percent tariff, however Trump has now said he will be upping this by another 50% after China vowed to 'fight to the end' and refused to remove its own tariffs - implemented in retaliation - of 34 percent.
The tensions between the US and China has led experts to become increasingly concerned, with Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore, telling the BBC: "You can only tariff so much for so long. But there are other ways both countries can hit each other. So you might say it can't possibly get worse, but there are many ways in which it can.
"... How will this end? No-one knows. I'm really concerned about the speed and escalation. The future is much more challenging and the risks are just so high."