US President Donald Trump has once again mounted a staunch defence of his aggressive tariff-oriented trade policy, portraying it as a cornerstone of both American economic strength and international diplomacy.

Speaking in Washington DC on Tuesday while announcing the relocation of the US Space Command headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama, Trump claimed that tariffs not only generated vast revenues for the United States but also served as a decisive tool in global negotiations.

In his characteristic hyperbolic style, he asserted that tariffs had enabled him to "settle seven wars," which he stated were predominantly trade-driven. According to Trump, the imposition of steep tariff barriers provided the US with "great negotiating ability," transforming trade friction into a tool for geopolitical leverage.

He sharply attacked the Biden administration, accusing it of allowing earlier reforms to lapse and claiming responsibility for reviving America’s economic dominance.

Central to Trump’s justification was the argument that tariffs — often seen globally as instruments of protectionism — had become a source of extraordinary financial gains for the US treasury. He credited these policies for positioning the country’s economy as "the hottest" and "the best" in the world, highlighting the large sums of money flowing into government coffers as imports were taxed heavily.

He insisted that tariffs allowed him to negotiate favourable trade deals and underpin America’s global strength, asserting that "without the United States, everything in the world would die," further amplifying his narrative of indispensability on the global stage.

Trump’s comments were particularly pointed when directed at India, against whom he has imposed a 50 percent tariff on all imports, supplemented by an additional 25 percent surcharge tied to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian crude oil.

He justified these measures by arguing that trade between the two nations had long been imbalanced. India, according to Trump, had been charging American exporters some of the "highest tariffs in the world," which deterred effective market access for US industries.

He presented his approach as a corrective measure against what he called a “one-sided relationship.” While acknowledging that Washington and New Delhi "get along very well," he emphasised that unchecked Indian tariffs had created a lopsided scenario where India exported freely to the US while restricting American products.

The President cited the case of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson to illustrate this point. He claimed that the company faced a prohibitive 200 percent tariff on its motorcycle exports to India, making its products unaffordable and uncompetitive in that market.

As a result, Harley Davidson opted to establish a manufacturing facility in India to bypass trade barriers. Trump argued that this scenario epitomised the broader flaws of global trade rules, where, in his view, the US had historically been “foolishly generous” in giving away market access without reciprocity.

Despite Trump’s celebration of tariffs as a symbol of strength, global observers have raised concerns that his policies are fuelling greater economic uncertainty. By targeting Indian imports with steep duties, the US has triggered trade frictions that risk undermining one of Washington’s most crucial strategic partnerships in Asia.

New Delhi, already navigating volatility caused by its energy ties with Russia and heightened global inflationary pressures, now faces additional strains from tariff-driven restrictions that could impact both its export sectors and bilateral relations.

Analysts warn that the heavy-handed approach could reduce market trust and undermine supply chains, even as Trump continues to portray tariffs not merely as economic tools but as quasi-diplomatic "weapons" capable of averting conflicts.

In combining his critique of past US administrations with sweeping claims about his own record, Trump is clearly positioning his trade agenda as a centrepiece of his leadership narrative ahead of future political contests.

By equating tariff imposition with the resolution of wars, he is not only re-framing economic policy as national security but also betting heavily that voters will see aggressive protectionism as synonymous with American resurgence.

However, whether tariffs have indeed settled conflicts or have instead exacerbated global trade tensions remains an open and divisive question, one that continues to define Trump’s legacy in both domestic and international economic policy.

Based On ANI Report