CNN
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President Donald Trump is slamming barrels towards the tariff deadline that was cleaned on April 2, threatening additional deadlines to foreign enemies this weekend despite his voice of openness to making deals.
Trump threw April 2nd as “liberation day.” It promises mutual tariffs in an unspecified number of countries, and a 25% tariff on automobiles and auto parts.
However, he also warned about additional tariffs on Russia and Iranian enemies in a phone interview with NBC News Kristen Welker over the weekend.
In an interview, the president openly aired his complaints about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I was very angry – I was angry – when Putin began to enter Zelensky’s credibility, it won’t go to the right place, so do you understand?” Trump told Welker, referring to the comments of the Russian leader last week, suggesting that Ukraine will be placed under a “temporary regime.”
He continued. “But the new leadership means you’re not going to trade for a long time, right? … But I was upset about it. But if there’s no deal going on, and if it’s Russia’s fault, I’m going to put secondary sanctions on Russia.”
Trump’s astounding critical tone of President Putin is in stark contrast to Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky and his own words regarding Trump’s call for elections in a war-torn country. He told Welker that Putin knows he’s angry.
Trump warned that failure to reach the transaction could lead to secondary tariffs.
“If Russia and I can’t get a contract in Ukraine to stop the bloodshed, and if I think it’s Russia’s fault, it may not be, but if I think it’s Russia’s fault, I’ll put secondary tariffs on all the oil that comes out of Russia,” he said.
Trump did not provide further explanations on how these secondary tariffs would be implemented.
The White House announced last week that Russia will halt its use of force in the Black Sea when banks and exports over Ukrainian invasion are lifted. It was well below the 30-day complete ceasefire originally proposed by the White House.
He asked if Russian leaders would talk to Putin this week if they “do the right thing,” Trump said, “Yes.”
In the same interview, Trump said, “We are considering impose secondary tariffs on Iran…until the deal is signed.”
During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers. This is an agreement that imposed strict restrictions on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. On Sunday, Iranian President Masuud Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic had refused to directly negotiate with the US on its nuclear program.
Still, the US has already imposed sudden sanctions on Iran, minimizing trade with the country.
The president previously acknowledged that his future tariffs could lead to some degree of economic disruption, and his top economic advisers have tried to downplay the uncertainty and economic impact of Wednesday’s announcement.
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, refused to say how many countries are subject to mutual tariffs, suggesting on Sunday that the plans remain in fluidity.
“President Trump is going to decide how many countries,” Hassett said during his appearance with Maria Bartilomo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
Hassett appeared to indicate that the president had not made a final decision.
“President Trump has a long-term vision for America’s golden age. We’re working really hard to get it over. But we can’t give future-looking guidance on what will happen this week. The president has received a lot of analysis before him and he makes the right choice,” Hassett said.
Meanwhile, Trump showed some openness to negotiations, telling Welker:
Otherwise there is no room for negotiation. ”
On Friday, Trump told Air Force reporters that any deal is likely to occur after tariffs are announced.
The President has long believed in using tariffs and tariff threats as key negotiation tools. But before and after tariffs earlier this month, it shook the market and increased anxiety and uncertainty among American businesses and consumers.
Peter Navarro, the president’s senior counselor in trade and manufacturing, dismissed concerns about rising consumer prices.
“Tax is a tax cut, tariffs are employment, tariffs are national security, tariffs are great for Americans. Tariffs make America great again,” he appeared in “Fox News Sunday” with Shannon Bream.
CNN reports that while Americans don’t necessarily feel the full effect of tariffs immediately, import taxes can raise almost every price.
Bream forced Navarro on concerns that tariffs would emerge at everyday costs. He pointed out the money raised from car fares that support tax cuts, and promised “the biggest tax cut in American history for the middle class.”
“Overall, as they say, consumers and Americans will be better, including all the work they have got,” he said.
He was once again pressed for a vote that reflects his overall belief that tariffs make products more expensive, saying that he should “trust Trump” his own claim that tariffs could lead to “some degree of confusion.”
“Trust in Trump. Here’s an example of the first term. I know that China has historically imposed high tariffs. I have imposed tariffs on aluminum and iron. I have imposed on washing machines.
And the reason we don’t see inflation is because foreigners are trying to eat most of it. They have to do that,” he said.