A Fox Business correspondent disputed the network’s portrayal of President Donald Trump’s 90-day delay on a controversial tariff policy as a strategic move, suggesting instead that the White House was responding to significant pressures from financial markets.

In several on-air segments on Wednesday, April 9, Charles Gasparino countered the views of Fox News anchors John Roberts and Sandra Smith, who proposed that Trump’s decision was in line with his “art of the deal” philosophy. The network had presented the delay as part of a strategic plan to stimulate international negotiations, following weeks of economic concerns linked to the administration’s aggressive tariff policies.

“Let’s be clear about what happened, who capitulated here and why,” Gasparino stated. “I don’t want to say this because I am a patriot, I am an American, but it is the White House that capitulated, based on everything I hear and all my sources.”

The 90-day postponement was announced on April 9, as part of a revised U.S. trade policy. In this updated framework, the administration paused a series of tariffs previously set to affect a broad spectrum of imports. While significant tariff increases on Chinese goods — now raised to 145% — remain, other countries will continue to face a 10% reciprocal tariff, with no immediate expansion as initially planned.

Fox News initially depicted the delay as a negotiation tactic following reports that as many as 75 countries had shown willingness to engage with the U.S. on trade. However, Gasparino challenged these claims, highlighting that no formal trade agreements had been finalized with any of these nations.

“If you read between the lines, and not even with what [Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent said, we have no deals, right?” Gasparino remarked. “There’s nobody that is really there saying this is what we’re going to do. And they paused it anyway.”

Gasparino also pointed to increasing financial pressures influencing the administration’s decision, specifically large-scale overnight sell-offs in the bond market. He cited sources close to the situation, arguing that sell-offs by key U.S. allies, including Japan, reflected declining confidence in the administration’s ability to stabilize the economy under the current trade policy.

“If you have a mass sale of bonds, that means people are losing confidence in the U.S. economy, on the ability to do deals with us,” he said. “It’s the bond market and the sort of lending markets that’s the plumbing of the economy, and those markets were imploding last night.”

The decision to pause the tariffs led to a market rally last week, with stock indices recovering from earlier declines. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Bessent publicly supported the revised strategy, describing it as a temporary recalibration.

Gasparino, while critical of the administration’s portrayal, praised Bessent’s influence in shaping the recent decision, describing the Treasury Secretary as more skilled at deal-making than other top officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and trade adviser Peter Navarro. According to Gasparino, Scott Bessent has now assumed a leading role in the White House. He noted that, until recently, figures like Howard Lutnick, Peter Navarro, and other trade hawks were directing policy. However, with Bessent at the helm, there is a shift toward prioritizing deal-making over simply imposing tariffs.

The administration has not dismissed the possibility of reinstating the full range of tariffs after the 90-day period, depending on the outcomes of ongoing discussions. Officials continue to frame the strategy as part of a broader realignment of U.S. trade priorities aimed at safeguarding American manufacturing and agriculture.

Despite the administration’s statements, Gasparino’s remarks highlighted internal divisions and the role of economic indicators in shaping trade policy decisions. His on-air pushback emphasized a rare moment of dissent within the network’s coverage of the president’s policies, underscoring the intricate relationship between political messaging and market realities.

The tariff pause occurs amid broader concerns about the global economy, ongoing inflation, and uncertain international relations, all of which have renewed focus on the potential risks of extensive trade restrictions.