Fact Check: Did Trump claim to be the ‘tariff king’ who has done a great job?

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump intensified his standoff with Europe on Saturday, January 17, as he announced a new round of tariffs aimed at pressuring allied governments to approve the sale of Greenland. He took to Truth Social and wrote US would impose a 10% tariff on imports from eight European nations beginning February 1.

Following this, a clip surfaced online showing the POTUS calling himself the 'Tariff King' who has 'done a great job' during a press conference. But is there any truth to this clip or is it just another AI-generated video. Let us find out below.

Claim: Trump calls himself 'Tariff King'

X user @unusual_whales shared a clip where Donald Trump was seen saying, "I’m the tariff king and the tariff king has done a great job."

In the video, the POTUS could be seen sitting in the Oval Office while addressing reporters during a press briefing. The video was shared on X by the user on Monday, January 19.

Meanwhile, another X user shared the same clip and wrote, "Trump leans fully into tariffs, calling himself the “tariff king” and claiming victory on trade."

"Trump: 'I'm the tariff king and the tariff king has done a great job'. 2026 is off to a great start I guess. Expect volatility tomorrow," wrote another X account.

The clip garnered thousands of views and reshares on X as people shared mixed reactions while resharing the clip.

Fact Check: Trump made the statement on Friday, January 16

The video shared by X users is authentic and not AI-generated, as Donald Trump called himself the "Tariff King" on Friday, January 16, at a White House event on rural healthcare. He used the title while talking about using the threat of tariffs on other countries to bring pharmaceutical costs down in the United States.

Interestingly, the remark also came minutes after the POTUS declared that he 'may' use tariffs to punish countries opposing his attempts to take control of Greenland.

Trump said during the presser, "I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security." He further added, "In fact, that will end up being the story."

Moreover, later on Friday, Trump posted a black-and-white photo of himself on Truth Social with the words 'Mister Tariff'. He also posted the same photo a minute later, and this time promoted himself as 'The Tariff King'.

On Saturday, the POTUS declared that he would be hitting eight European countries with tariffs on goods sent to the US until 'a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.'