White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brought receipts of prominent Democrats making the same critiques about trade policy as President Donald Trump during Tuesday’s press briefing.
Trump has come under Democratic scrutiny for imposing reciprocal tariffs on foreign imports in order to create fairer trade practices and return manufacturing to the U.S. Leavitt said that Democrats simply do not want to admit that they agree with Trump on the need to change current trade practices, which prompted her to read direct quotes from high-profile Democrats who expressed concern over the status quo on foreign trade.
“Everybody in Washington [D.C.], whether they want to admit it or not, knows that this president is right when it comes to tariffs and when it comes to trade,” Leavitt said. “In fact, Democrats have long said that the United States of America has been ripped off by the countries around the world. They just don’t want to admit it now because it’s President Trump saying that.”
The press secretary quoted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said in June 1996 that her colleagues must “fight against the status quo trade policies that had contributed to America’s trade deficit with China.” She further quoted now-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Democrat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown remarks from 2007 and 2012, when they both sounded the alarm on the U.S.’s trade deficit costing American workers “millions of jobs.”
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“These are the words of Democrats years ago,” Leavitt said. “It is about time America finally has a president who is taking action to restore those millions of jobs back to the United States of American to boost our manufacturing industry. He’s doing what’s right for the American people. It will take a lot of labor, it will take a lot of effort. That’s exactly what the American people elected this president to do.”
CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings said he found it “amusing” on Monday that Democrats have suddenly become proponents of free trade and lower taxes while they criticize Trump’s attempts to cut corporate and capital gains taxes.
Trump’s officially imposed the tariffs on April 2, which he deemed “Liberation Day,” with the intention of preventing foreign nations from “ripping off” the U.S. and to help American workers. Several union workers celebrated the tariffs, stating that their industries will benefit from more job positions and more domestic production.
The tariffs caused U.S. stocks to take a steep downturn, with the Dow Jones sinking by 2,200 points on Friday. The markets faced a positive rebound on Tuesday as the Dow jumped 179 points.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business’ Larry Kudlow on Monday that up to 70 countries have gotten in contact with Trump to begin negotiations. Trump stated on Truth Social that nations across the globe are talking with the U.S. to negotiate on tariffs.
“Countries from all over the World are talking to us. Tough but fair parameters are being set. Spoke to the Japanese Prime Minister this morning. He is sending a top team to negotiate! They have treated the U.S. very poorly on Trade. They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs. Likewise Agriculture, and many other ‘things.’ It all has to change, but especially with CHINA!!!” Trump said.
The administration is set increase tariffs on Chinese tariffs to 104% due to the country’s retaliation against the U.S., Leavitt said. The White House had initially planned in February to impose 20% tariffs on China for its role in causing the fentanyl epidemic, while Canada and Mexico received 25% tariffs for the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration coming into the U.S.
The tariffs led former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to cave to the president’s demands on the border. Trudeau invested billions in securing Canada’s border and appointed a “Fentanyl Czar,” while Sheinbaum deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
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