Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Apr 9: In his signature blunt style, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday took a swipe at tariff-hit nations and rebuked Congress’s role in trade negotiations, claiming that countries were “kissing his a**” in desperation to strike trade deals with him.

Speaking at the National Republican Congressional Committee event, Trump boasted about his aggressive tariff policies and claimed he outperformed Congress when it came to international trade negotiations.

"I'm telling you—these countries are calling us up, kissing my a**. They are dying to make a deal—'please sir, make a deal, I'll do anything, I'll do anything sir'," Trump said, drawing loud reactions from attendees.

He sharply criticized a section of Republican lawmakers who believe Congress should take charge of trade talks. "Let me tell you, you don’t negotiate like I negotiate," he said. "Congress takes over negotiating, and you’ll sell America fast. You’re going to go busted."

He further claimed that had Congress taken over, China would have escaped the 104 per cent tariff burden. “The happiest people in the world would be the Chinese. They wouldn’t be paying 104 per cent. They’d be paying nothing we’d be paying them!”

Adding fuel to the trade fire, Trump announced that a sweeping new tariff on pharmaceutical imports is in the pipeline.

“Tariffs on pharma will be there because we don’t make our own drugs. The same packet costs $10 or more here while it’s cheap elsewhere,” he said. Trump added that the US market is powerful enough to lure manufacturing back. “Once these companies hear about the tariff, they’ll rush back to the US to open their plants here.”

The President’s remarks come amid heightened global trade tensions and ahead of a possible face-off in the upcoming US elections, where trade and manufacturing are expected to be major poll issues.