Welcome to the beat. I'm Ari Melbert. Our top story night starts with a really simple point.

Can you claim to start a war if you surrender immediately? I mean, Donald Trump's often portrayed

himself, sometimes politically effectively, as a, quote, tough warrior, picking fights, winning

showdowns, treating everything in politics and governing as just another battle.

It's a kind of endless performance of the Braveheart type character.

And whether it's true or not, whether it makes sense or not, whether it's strong leadership

or not, Trump sees himself as that sort of individual.

And he presents himself that way.

But that's just the show.

What we're dealing with, and it affects a lot of people's lives and jobs tonight,

is how that show crumbles at Trump's own chosen battles.

He is surrendering right now as president in his promised trade war,

caving on the tariffs he threatened, vowed, and then very briefly started. He's reversing himself

because of reality. The show, the Braveheart, the movie, the imagery, all of that may work

some of the time on some of the people who want to believe what he says. But now there's

been a reality check in the markets and from the public. And Trump is basically backing down on

the new promised tariffs across North America. He says for at least a month, but it might be forever.

It's the opposite of what he in Brave Horror mode said he would do at the start of this very week.

On the tariffs, is there any room left for Canada and Mexico to make a deal before midnight?

And should we expect those Chinese tariffs, the extra 10% to take?

No room left for Mexico or for Canada.

No, the tariffs, you know, they're all set.

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