On Saturday, Donald Trump stated that he did not caution car industry executives against increasing prices as tariffs on imported vehicles take effect, telling NBC News he “couldn’t care less” if they do.
His remarks came as the White House readied to implement new tariffs on various consumer products starting April 2, a decision that has sparked criticism from global leaders and raised concerns about possible price hikes for consumers.
US Senator Rand Paul, a fellow Republican to Trump, voiced his apprehensions regarding the president’s commitment to tariffs on Sunday.
“International trade since [World War II] has made us incredibly wealthy,” Paul said on The Cats Roundtable broadcast on New York’s WABC 770 AM. “He claims, ‘We’ve been taken advantage of.’ However, I strongly disagree because trade has significantly enriched us and has truly improved the world.
“The more we trade … the less conflict we have.”
In the NBC News interview, Trump asserted that his longstanding tariffs on foreign-made vehicles would benefit factories within the US and expressed confidence that this action would lead to a rise in sales of American-made cars. “I hope they raise their prices because if they do, consumers are gonna buy American-made cars,” Trump remarked.
Despite winning a second term in the White House during November’s election, partly on the promise of lowering consumer prices, Trump insisted he would only consider negotiating about the tariffs “if people are willing to offer us something of significant value”.
These tariffs are part of Trump’s initiative to enhance American manufacturing and decrease the country’s trade deficit.
Trade policies have been a major priority throughout Trump’s presidency, amid ongoing tensions with key trading allies.
A CBS News poll conducted on Sunday revealed that 52% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s management of the economy, with approximately 55% of respondents believing that his emphasis on tariffs is “excessive”.
