WASHINGTON -- Shortly after a federal trade court declared many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs to be illegal, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took to television to brush aside the setback.

“It cost us a week, maybe,” Lutnick said this month on Fox News, noting that other countries remained eager to strike new deals despite tariffs being in legal jeopardy.

“Everybody came right back to the table,” he added.

With the fate of the president’s tariffs hanging in the balance, the Trump administration has tried to project dueling narratives on trade. Top aides have insisted publicly that their negotiations remain unharmed, even as some of those same officials have pleaded with the court to spare Trump from reputational damage on the global stage.

Their strategy faced two crucial tests

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