Trump's trade team rocked by shake-up amid tariff turmoil; Bessent rises

As Trump pauses new tariffs and faces market volatility, Scott Bessent emerges as the key voice on trade while Navarro and Lutnick are pushed to the sidelines amid policy confusion

US President Donald Trump has reshuffled his trade team, days after ordering a 90-day pause on his recently imposed “reciprocal” tariffs.

 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a former hedge fund manager and the White House’s key link to financial markets, has now taken a larger role after addressing reporters about Trump’s trade policies, according to a Politico report. Peter Navarro, senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing in the Trump administration, has been sidelined and is now focusing on television appearances to speak about Trump’s trade agenda. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s role has also been reduced.

 

Lutnick has been described as an abrasive messenger for the President, known for his aggressive tone.

 

The report suggests changes in the roles of Lutnick and Navarro, highlighting the internal turmoil surrounding Trump’s trade policy, and points to a shift towards the “fair trade” policies championed by Bessent.

 

The shuffle comes amid an internal standoff between “fair trade” and protectionist camps. Trump’s trade team has been grappling with a credibility crisis after a week of conflicting messages that triggered volatility in the stock markets. Citing a former Trump administration official, the report added: “Trump likes to first create chaos, and then calm, chaos, calm — just to keep everybody guessing.”

 

Bessent emerges as Trump’s key trade strategist amid internal divide

 

A Reuters report, citing sources, noted that Bessent was seen as the “proverbial adult in the room” who gave Trump the most effective counsel. Stephen Moore, a longtime Trump adviser and economist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said: “The president is the one who ultimately altered his strategy, but I think it was Scott who was always trying to take on the protectionists in the White House, who were always pressing Trump to go big on the tariffs.”

 

The report also indicated that while Bessent advocated lower tariffs, Navarro pushed for higher levies. In public, Bessent defended the administration’s tariff strategy, but privately worked to steer Trump toward negotiated trade deals with other countries.

 

On Sunday, April 6, Bessent flew to Florida to meet Trump in an effort to shift policy before the tariffs took effect on April 9. During a recent cabinet meeting, Bessent presented himself, Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as leading the negotiations alongside Trump.

 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented on the team changes and said that Bessent, Lutnick, Navarro, and Greer remain part of Trump’s core team.