Explained: The frantic few hours that led Trump to pause higher tariffs

Donald Trump is unpredictable. After urging Americans to ‘be cool’ amid markets slumping over his tariff policy, he made a shocking pivot on Wednesday. He announced a 90-day pause for all countries except China. But what led the US president to change his mind? Was it the rapid rise in government bond yields or the rising criticism from billionaires and business leaders?

Explainers