Trump Unleashes on EU: “Nastier Than China” — Calls Time on Decades of Unfair Trade
A New Front in the Trade War
President Donald Trump has escalated his economic offensive against the European Union, branding the globalist bloc “nastier than China” in a searing rebuke of trade practices that he says have long undermined American workers, manufacturers, and pharmaceutical consumers.
Speaking from the White House on Monday, May 12, Trump dropped a political bombshell during the unveiling of a major executive order targeting prescription drug prices—one that also served as a warning shot to Brussels.
“The European Union is, in many ways, nastier than China,” Trump declared. “They sell us 13 million cars—we sell them none. They flood our markets—we can’t get ours in. They don’t take our products. We have all the cards.”
U.S. Consumers No Longer Subsidizing Europe
The executive order announced this week strikes at the heart of global pricing disparities. Under Trump’s plan, pharmaceutical companies will be pressured to slash domestic prices or face aggressive federal intervention. A central goal? End American subsidies of Europe’s heavily discounted medicine.
“The drug companies told me horror stories,” Trump said. “We’re done paying for Europe’s cheap medicine. Europe’s gonna have to pay more, and America is going to pay a lot less.”
By decoupling from the EU’s price-fixing leverage and using the power of America’s massive healthcare market, the administration is betting on a ripple effect that forces Big Pharma to realign globally—or else.
EU Retaliation Looms, But Trump Allies Dismiss It
Brussels has already fired back with threats of retaliatory tariffs worth up to €95 billion ($106 billion) on U.S. exports, if trade negotiations collapse. But White House trade advisor Peter Navarro dismissed the move as weak posturing.
“Europe has been playing both sides for too long,” Navarro said. “They sue our companies, cheat our markets, and then whine when we respond. It’s a grave mistake if they retaliate—it’ll blow up in their faces.”
While the EU’s executive arm tries to preserve the status quo, Trump allies insist the American public—and especially the industrial workforce—will no longer tolerate imbalanced trade deals dressed up as “cooperation.”
From Compliments to Confrontation
Ironically, Trump’s renewed hostility comes just months after he praised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as “fantastic.” The two leaders have yet to meet in this term, and now, according to White House sources, any summit will depend on whether the EU brings serious trade concessions to the table.
Von der Leyen responded tersely, stating she would only engage if a “concrete” proposal was ready. Trump, never one to back down, seems poised to deliver exactly that—only on terms that favor American industries and workers first.
Auto Tariffs and the Broader Economic War
Trump’s economic playbook is no mystery. The administration has already imposed 10% tariffs on EU metals and is preparing a potential 25% tariff on automobiles—a direct response to Europe’s years-long protectionist tilt.
“The globalists shipped our jobs overseas, and Brussels cheered them on,” Trump told reporters. “But we hold the cards now. This ends here.”
With an eye toward reshoring manufacturing and reversing decades of dependency, the tariffs are part of a larger effort to rebuild domestic supply chains—particularly in critical sectors like steel, autos, and pharmaceuticals.
Meanwhile, Beijing Talks Ease Trade Tensions
In a notable contrast, the Trump administration has simultaneously eased tensions with China. Following intense negotiations in Switzerland, both nations agreed to a 90-day tariff rollback window. U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods dropped from 145% to 30%, while China’s countermeasures dropped from 125% to just 10%.
The unexpected détente with Beijing juxtaposed with the growing cold front with Brussels highlights a shift in Trump’s foreign trade focus: reward cooperation, punish exploitation.
The End of Global Free Rides
What began as a prescription drug policy rollout quickly transformed into a geopolitical message: the United States is done playing global financier. For decades, Europe has leaned on American power, capital, and innovation—often while working against U.S. economic interests behind closed doors.
Trump’s message was unmistakable: No more.
As the president sharpens his trade arsenal, the world is once again on notice. America is back in the driver’s seat—and this time, it’s not giving free rides.