Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he’s seeking direct trade agreements with foreign governments to spare his state from

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was spending a second day testifying to Congress on what the Trump White House insisted was a trade “emergency” that needed unprecedented action. But he learned about his boss’ about-face during the hearing, in an episode that shattered his credibility in future trade talks.

Trump has repeatedly called April 2 "Liberation Day." He is expected to enact reciprocal tariffs on major trading partners, especially those that contribute the most to the $1.2 trillion U.S. trade deficit.