- The White House unveiled a new artwork titled The Tariff Men featuring Donald Trump and four past presidents
- The painting includes Trump, McKinley, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Henry Clay linked to tariff policies
- Trump continues to prioritise tariffs in trade policy, maintaining duties on EU goods until barriers lower
The White House has added a new piece of artwork to its collection. It features Donald Trump alongside four former presidents known for their ties to tariff debates.
The portrait, titled "The Tariff Men," was unveiled on Thursday by top White House staffer Harrison Fields. He shared a photo of the painting on X and wrote, "A new addition to the West Wing," adding the name of the artwork.
The gold-framed piece shows Trump with William McKinley, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Clay. The grouping appears intended to place Trump within a lineage of leaders associated with protectionist economic policies, particularly tariffs.
Henry Clay, a 19th-century statesman, delivered a widely praised 1824 speech in support of protective tariffs as part of his "American System," arguing that high import duties would spur domestic industry.
Thomas Jefferson, by contrast, opposed such policies earlier in US history, favouring reduced tariffs to help the young nation grow economically.
Abraham Lincoln endorsed tariffs during his presidency (1861-1865) to encourage American manufacturing.
William McKinley, the 25th president and often cited by Trump as a political inspiration, signed the Dingley Tariff Act of 1897, which sharply raised duties on imports.
Donald Trump is keeping tariffs at the core of his trade policy, affecting countries around the world. A new deal with the European Union allows the US to keep duties of up to 25 per cent on cars and 15 per cent on goods like semiconductors and medicines until Europe lowers its own trade barriers. China has hit back with tariffs of its own and restrictions on rare-earth exports.
India is facing some of the toughest measures, with US tariffs raised to as high as 50 per cent, which Washington links to India's purchases of Russian oil.
Ireland won relief in the US-EU trade deal, with tariffs on its pharmaceutical exports capped at 15 per cent, which leaders there called a big win for exporters. Canada is planning countermeasures, while Japan and Australia have voiced opposition but are focusing on talks instead of retaliating.
