President Trump used his social media holdings to make a series of substantive proclamations on trade and economic security this week, from threatening India with more duties, assuming command of Venezuelan oil marketing, and "the upcoming Tariff decision, one of the most important ever, of the United States Supreme Court".
President Trump is threatening again to slap high tariffs on India over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. “They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly. It would be very hard on them” he told reporters aboard Air Force One, in response to a question about India buying Russian oil. The US tariff rate on Indian goods is already at 50 percent, partly because of India’s dependence on Russian oil. New Delhi has been trying to curb Russian oil purchases. The government has asked refiners for weekly updates on Russian and US oil purchases. India has been trying for months to reach a trade deal with the United States, with the last round of negotiations having taken place last month.
Monday, Mr. Trump took to social media to tout the benefits of his tariff policy and once again nudge the US Supreme Court to decide in his favor in a case challenging his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose global tariffs.
“We have taken in, and will soon be receiving, more than 600 Billion Dollars in Tariffs, but the Fake News Media refuses to talk about it because they hate and disrespect our Country, and want to interfere with the upcoming Tariff decision, one of the most important ever, of the United States Supreme Court,” Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Because of Tariffs, our Country is financially, AND FROM A NATIONAL SECURITY STANDPOINT, FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED THAN EVER BEFORE.”
For the second day in a row, Mr. Trump took to social media Tuesday to pressure the high court to side with him on the tariffs. “The USA markets just hit another ALL TIME HIGH – ALL OF THEM!!! THANK YOU YOU MISTER TARIFF!!! PRAY THAT THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT ALLOWS OUR COUNTRY TO CONTINUE ITS UNPRECEDENTED MARCH TOWARD UNPARALLELED GREATNESS! BOTH OUR NATIONAL AND FINANCIAL SECURITY HAVE NEVER BEEN STRONGER!,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Wednesday, the President told the New York Times that if his IEEPA tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court, he could repackage them as "licensing fees."
The President said that tariff revenues would help fund a major defense budget increase. He proposed boosting the U.S. military budget for 2027 to approximately $1.5 trillion and linked the increased spending plan to revenues generated through tariff collections, framing tariffs as part of fiscal and security policy
The Supreme Court did not announce their Tariff decision Friday.
Venezuela plans to purchase only US-made products with the revenues it will receive from stepped up oil production, President Trump said Wednesday.
“I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal,” Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “These purchases will include, among other things, American Agricultural Products, and American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities. In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner – A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States.”
His post follows on an earlier statement from the President and that Venezuela will be turning over up to 50 million barrels of oil – worth around $2.8 billion – to the United States. The oil will be sold at market price, according to Mr. Trump, who said that he will control the revenues raised.
The president met with major U.S. oil industry leaders on Friday. When asked whether the administration would offer government guarantees or security backstops for U.S. oil firms investing in Venezuela, Trump replied:
“They know the risks. There are risks. We’re going to help them out. We’re going to make it real easy. They’re going to be there for a long time. We’re going to be there, together, for a long, long time.” 
Mr. Trump urged executives to commit up to $100 billion of private investment to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure
The president posted an unreleased chart of U.S. jobs data on social media late Thursday — described by the White House as inadvertent. This drew media attention and questions about internal protocols
In a social media post about housing prices, Mr. Trump mentioned that he intends to travel to Davos, Switzerland to speak about his Administration’s attempts to deal with inflation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also plan to attend. This will be Mr. Trump’s third in-person appearance at the forum.
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