Politics & Government

Trump: America Is A 'Piggy Bank' That's Being Robbed

Trump also declared "Tariffs are the greatest!" and threatened to impose additional penalties on U.S. trading partners.

WASHINGTON, DC — Ahead of a meeting with European Union leaders in Washington, President Donald Trump has taken to his favorite diplomatic tool — Twitter — to bemoan that the U.S. is a "'piggy bank' that's being robbed," and threaten additional trading partners with tariffs.

Trump put the world on notice Tuesday with the tweet: "Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on Trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs. It’s as simple as that - and everybody’s talking! Remember, we are the “piggy bank” that’s being robbed. All will be Great!"

Trump also said other countries that have treated America "unfairly on trade for years" are all coming to Washington to negotiate.

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"This should have taken place many years ago but, as the saying goes, better late than never," he tweeted.

Trump will meet with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday. The U.S. and European allies have not seen eye to eye over the president's tariffs on steel imports and are meeting as the trade dispute threatens to spread to automobile production.

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Cecilia Malmstrom, European commissioner for trade, tweeted that she was heading to Washington with Juncker to discuss trade relations and "try to de-escalate the situation."

"We should work together to address global steel overcapacity, WTO reform etc," she wrote.

Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

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