'He Caved': 'Idiot' Donald Trump Mocked for 'Walking Back' His Tariff Trade War With China Amid Stock Market Crash

President Donald Trump was ridiculed on social media for backtracking the 145 percent tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports and crashing the world economy in the process.

Several critics on social media called out the commander-in-chief for "folding" to China amid massive pressure from economist to roll back his disastrous tariff plan.

"We're going to be very nice, they're going to be very nice, and we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters when asked whether he planned to play "hardball" with Beijing.

"Ultimately, they have to make a deal because otherwise they're not going to be able to deal in the United States. So we want them involved, but they have to — and other countries have to — make a deal, and if they don't make a deal, we'll set the deal."

Trump also told reporters the current tariff rate on China won't stay at the current level.

"145 percent is very high, and it won't be that high," he explained. "No, it won't be anywhere near that high. It'll come down substantially. But it won't be zero — used to be zero. We were just destroyed. China was taking us for a ride."

Several critics took to social media to call out the president, claiming "he caved" under pressure and tanked the global economy in the process.

One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared a clip of Trump's comments and wrote: '"Trump is making stuff up as he goes along. He is not playing '3D chess' and he has no real plan."

Another X user commented: "Old man has caved on every tariff he’s negotiated. Most of them are fairly close to what was in place before. I’m sure most countries will just ignore him now. All hat and no cattle."

A third person pointed out: "Trump is an idiot by any means but his strategy is always. Let’s go outrageous and walks away with 5-10 percent is still a win because he got away with it. Truth is the whole world knows this. How many 'times' can you be a master 'negotiator' with the same tactics. It won’t work."

Earlier this month, China announced that it was raising tariffs on U.S. goods from 84 percent to 125 percent.

A statement put out by China's Finance Ministry announcing the tariffs said, "The U.S.'s arbitrary imposition of abnormally high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic and trade rules, disregards the post-World War II global economic order built by the U.S. itself, and violates basic economic laws and common sense."

The ministry also called rising U.S. tariffs "a joke" and said it would not respond to future tariff hikes.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday, April 22, more than 100 countries have reached out to the U.S. to initiate trade talks after Trump announced sweeping universal tariffs earlier this month and 18 have submitted proposals.

China is not among them, however, and Leavitt said she did not have anything to report on communications between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors that he expects a de-escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions, but negotiations with Beijing have not yet started and would be a "slog."

"No one thinks the current status quo is sustainable," Bessent said at a private investment conference in Washington, D.C.