Trump Backs Off On New Tariff Threat, For Now

by Tim Healey

Published: January 21st, 2026

trump backs off on new tariff threat for now

Just yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump was threatening to slap more tariffs on certain European countries who had pushed back on his attempts to make Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, part of the United States.

Now, he's backing down. For the moment.

Trump said that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland.”

So, because of that, Trump is won't enact tariffs that he'd planned to put into place on February 1.

Trump, of course, has changed his mind with little notice, and he's often failed to follow through on announcements he's made. He has also been known to spew falsehoods. So it's hard to say for sure that the this matter is settled.

If it is, it's good news for European automakers who sell cars in the United States -- especially the German makes. And it's good news for car buyers eyeing models build in Europe.

Stocks rose with the news.

For now, at least, it seems additional tariffs on certain European nations are off.

[Image: gualtiero boffi/Shutterstock.com]

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#Tariffs #Trump #Europe #Greenland #Germany

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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19 of 69 comments

Jrhurren on Jan 22, 2026

The cult of personality is still strong I see.

3 Reply
- See 4 previous
- Dave M. on Jan 22, 2026
  
  These menchildren are going to be so lost when the Great Grifter steps off this mortal coil. So very sadly lost.
  
  6
- Jeff on Jan 22, 2026
  
  The MAGA cult is strong with some of those on this site. For the rest of us we look forward to the day that Trump steps off this mortal coil and we no longer have to see and hear him.
  
  4
- EBFlexing on ur mom on Jan 22, 2026
  
  JeffyTroll please tell us what makes a person "MAGA cult". Is it telling the truth? Not lying and suffering from raging TDS?
  
  1
- Lloyd Bonified on Jan 22, 2026
  
  It is not threatening people with pruning shears
  
  1
- Slavuta on Jan 23, 2026
  
  Jeff is waiting for Karmela back into office.
  
  Like
Jkross22 on Jan 22, 2026

This is how Trump negotiates. Bare knuckled negotiating is ugly. Are people really surprised this is what he does after seeing it now for multiple years?

1 Reply
- See 11 previous
- Random1 on Jan 22, 2026
  
  But literally nothing has happened. TACO trade is alive and well. Negotiating against himself and somehow mostly losing.
  
  4
- Mnemic on Jan 22, 2026
  
  It backfired on him, because he doesn't abide by any rules now nobody else does either. The EU just tore up their crappy "trade deal" and everyone else will too (if they were actually dumb enough to even sign one)
  
  Like
- Jkross22 on Jan 22, 2026
  
  Good examples of the irrationality poking through. Neither of these arguments make any sense.
  
  Like
- Jeff on Jan 22, 2026
  
  Trump is such a successful negotiator that Denmark is selling off 100 million in US Treasuries, Sweden Alecta has sold 8,8 billion of US Treasuries, and other European countries are rethinking about their investments in the US. Trump's negotiating is less about the US and more about not winning a Nobel Peace Prize.
  
  4
- FreedMike on Jan 22, 2026
  
  @JK: Let's say that as part of a bare knuckles negotiating strategy to put some more gun control laws on the books, Democratic President ABC signs a presidential order declaring the Second Amendment null and void (which for the record, is the same s*it Trump pulled with the Fourteenth Amendment).
  You're gonna give him a pass on the bare knuckles rhetoric because that kind of negotiating is ugly. Right? And I'm sure the Republicans react with "aw, shucks, he's just being rough." Right?
  (I don't know how you'd personally respond, but I think the GOP and a fair number of Republicans would go f*cking ballistic...which, to be honest, I think they would have every right to do, because presidents don't get to nullify amendments with presidential orders, bare knuckles negotiating style or not.)
  
  1
- Jkross22 on Jan 22, 2026
  
  Mike, I'd need to know more before we go messing with constitutional amendments. Fiddling with those tends to open up pandora's box and I trust 2-5% of congress to have a rational, long term view of anything.
  
  Example: If Trump meddled with the 22nd amendment, I'd move my chair over to your side of the table. I have no patience with changing the constitution to one side or the other. Gun rights, free speech (something Biden tried to cut off), executive terms, illegal search and seizure... Leave it all alone. We no longer have the wisdom to 'improve' on that document. At least for now. We know how to elect people that look for ways to wipe their blotchy behinds with it. Until that ends, we should leave the constitution alone.
  
  Like
- Jeff on Jan 22, 2026
  
  FreedMike--Trump was asked whether there were any limits to his global powers.
  "Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me,” He added he doesn't need international law. This is what Trump reportedly said to The New York Times.
  This is why we have international laws and treaties. What is Trump's morality and how far is he willing to go? How do we know Trump is of sound mind when he threatens war and to avenge anyone he believes is his enemy.? Trump's father, Fred Trump had dementia for years before he died. Listening to Trump slur his words, wander off in his speeches, and get Iceland confused with Greenland are questions about his mental capacity for the Office of the Presidency. Having dementia or Alzheimer's is tragic and not only affects the one with dementia but their family as well. If Trump does have dementia he is endangering our country and the lives of US citizens.
  
  2
- MaintenanceCosts on Jan 22, 2026
  
  “I'd need to know more before we go messing with constitutional amendments.”
  As Mike pointed out, Trump has already tried to declare the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment (and 160-year-old Supreme Ciurt precedent holding that it says what the words plainly mean) null and void based on nothing more than his say-so. We’ll see what he does when the Court once again rules that it was right the first time and he is wrong.
  
  2
- FreedMike on Jan 22, 2026
  
  @MC: "We’ll see what he does when the Court once again rules that it was right the first time and he is wrong."
  I literally PRAY you're right. If they rule otherwise...well, then, the president can literally rewrite the Constitution with a pen stroke. I don't want to even think about that.
  
  Like
- Jkross22 on Jan 22, 2026
  
  Oh my, no one is rewriting the constitution or changing amendments. You know you can't change an amendment, right?
  
  2/3 of both houses of congress and 3/4 of the states have to ratify a new amendment.
  
  Do neither of you remember Schoolhouse Rock?
  
  That said, the guy you both voted for did all he could to squat on the 1st amendment and occlude free speech rights. Did you have a problem with that?
  
  Like
- FreedMike on Jan 22, 2026
  
  Yes, JK, Trump is trying to modify a Constitutional amendment - eliminating birthright citizenship as guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment via executive order. Read the executive order, please.
  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/
  
  1
- Jkross22 on Jan 22, 2026
  
  And I completely disagree with it. That's not his job, not his call and regardless of whether it's a good change, he has no authority to do it. Hence why the 14th A has not changed.
  
  Again, there is no line item vetoing constitutional amendments. You have to make a new amendment. That's how it works.
  Now, did you have a problem with Biden's impinging on free speech? Or his coronation of a disinformation czar? I don't recall Trump's most strident critics having a problem with this.... I recall them voraciously eating it up. Did you think that was a constitutionally sound decision - silence critics by pressuring social media companies?
  
  Like
- Master Baiter on Jan 23, 2026
  
  "As Mike pointed out, Trump has already tried to declare the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment..."
  Yeah, the framers of the 14th Amendment really ment to codify the right of Consuela to step across the border from Mexico, drop a kid, and have it be a U.S. citizen. 🙄
  
  Like
- Jkross22 on Jan 23, 2026
  
  MB, I don't think people who hate Trump are able to engage in rational dialog about these issues. Anytime people are wound up about a person or a group or an issue, their neurosis gets tripped and it's game, set, match. Meaningful debate of opinion becomes a near impossibility.
  
  In 2008/9 when auto bailout discussions were happening, the same digging in of opinions happened. Same with C19.
  
  Like
- MaintenanceCosts on Jan 23, 2026
  
  So which is it, MB? Does the text control no matter what, or does the meaning evolve with later circumstances? Until now, your side has emphatically said the former.
  
  And, yes, I'm positive that the drafters of the 14th Amendment intended the children of immigrants born here to be citizens no matter what. They were very clear on the topic.
  
  1
- Master Baiter on Jan 25, 2026
  
  "Does the text control no matter what,..."
  Yes, the text controls no matter what. The 14th amendment was meant to ensure the children of slaves were U.S. citizens in all the states.
  The Supreme Court has never ruled that the children of illegals are U.S. citizens.
  
  2

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