Tun M says Trump’s tariffs will backfire, predicts policy pause within three months

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday warned that US President Donald Trump's high-tariff policy would backfire on the United States, predicting it would be forced to pause within three months due to mounting domestic economic pressure.

In a statement today, Dr Mahathir said Trump's tariffs would “hurt America more than the rest of the world,” citing the country's heavy reliance on imported goods and outsourced manufacturing.

“America practically has no local products,” Dr Mahathir said, noting that many US-branded goods, including Apple’s iPhones, are produced abroad to reduce costs.

“If imports become costly because of high tariff, there would be no local iPhones to meet American demands,” he said, adding that the country was already forced to delay tariff hikes on electronics.

Dr Mahathir argued that the tariffs would trigger a rise in living costs, wage demands, and production expenses, ultimately eroding US global competitiveness and leading to potential unrest. “There will be a lot of demonstrations,” he warned. “It will not become great.”

He concluded with a prediction that Trump’s tariff policy would falter within three months, though he added, “Maybe more. I may be wrong. We will see.”

Read the latest news here