The Trading Basics
  • Politics
  • World
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Editor’s pick
Politics

Trump Clashes With Reporter Over Tariffs, Citing Pandemic and ‘Fighting Lunatics’

by admin August 1, 2025
August 1, 2025

President Donald Trump clashed with a reporter Thursday over questions about a newly signed tariff, telling him that he had spent his first term ‘fighting lunatics like you.’ The intense exchange follows a White House signing ceremony for a series of executive actions aimed at expanding reciprocal tariffs and strengthening U.S. trade policy.

While speaking with reporters at the White House after the signing, a reporter confronted Trump on why he is emphasizing tariffs more in his second term. 

‘You’re weighing your decision to do that, your authority to do that based on a 1977 law. It’s never been invoked before,’ said the reporter. ‘Why didn’t you invoke this law in your first term? You could have taken in billions upon billions of dollars in your first term, but you waited until your second term?’

Without missing a beat, the president shot back: ‘Yeah, because in my first term, I was fighting lunatics like you who were trying to do things incorrectly and inappropriately to a president that was duly elected.’ 

‘And we did do certain tariffs in the first term,’ he continued. ‘If you look at China, China, we took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China.’ 

He also said that the COVID-19 pandemic also played a factor in his decision to not emphasize tariffs as much in his first term.

‘When Covid came the last thing I was going to do is tell France and Italy and Spain and a couple of other countries that we’re going to hit you with tariffs,’ he explained. ‘We had to fight the Covid situation when that came.’ 

‘But if you look at my first term,’ he went on, ‘We took in hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs, but you people didn’t cover it very well.’ 

A statement by the White House said that Trump’s executive actions taken on Thursday ‘reflects the President’s continued efforts to protect the United States against foreign threats to the national security and economy of the United States by securing fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade relationships to benefit American workers, farmers, and manufacturers and to strengthen the United States’ defense industrial base.’ 

This comes shortly after Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade deal between the U.S. and E.U. on Sunday.

‘We are agreeing that the tariff straight across for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15%,’ Trump said.

‘So, we have a tariff of 15%. We have the opening up of all of the European countries, which I think I could say were essentially closed. I mean, you weren’t exactly taking our orders. You weren’t exactly taking our agriculture,’ he added, addressing von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen said Europe will also purchase $150 billion worth of U.S. energy as part of the deal, in addition to making $600 billion in other investments into the U.S.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Top 5 Canadian Nickel Stocks of 2025
next post
Secret Service must ‘course correct’ after alleged smuggling episode on Trump trip, former agent says

You may also like

Secret Service must ‘course correct’ after alleged smuggling...

August 1, 2025

New tech-focused MAHA initiatives will usher in ‘new...

July 31, 2025

Inside Biden confidante Steve Ricchetti’s ‘combative’ eight-hour grilling...

July 31, 2025

Trump’s CDC pick confirmed—but her pro-vaccine stance may...

July 30, 2025

Trump pick Emil Bove confirmed as federal judge...

July 30, 2025

Medvedev warns Trump’s new deadline to end Russia-Ukraine...

July 29, 2025

Trump’s reported snub of Taiwan president spurs concerns...

July 29, 2025

Trump hits EU for lack of Gaza aid,...

July 28, 2025

Johnson says Ghislaine Maxwell deserves life sentence over...

July 28, 2025

FTC firings take spotlight in Trump’s fight to...

July 27, 2025
  • S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio
  • Secret Service must ‘course correct’ after alleged smuggling episode on Trump trip, former agent says
  • Trump Clashes With Reporter Over Tariffs, Citing Pandemic and ‘Fighting Lunatics’
  • Top 5 Canadian Nickel Stocks of 2025
  • Stallion Uranium Announces Update to Previously Announced Technology Licensing Agreement

    Fill Out & Get More Relevant News


    Stay ahead of the market and unlock exclusive trading insights & timely news. We value your privacy - your information is secure, and you can unsubscribe anytime. Gain an edge with hand-picked trading opportunities, stay informed with market-moving updates, and learn from expert tips & strategies.

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: thetradingbasics.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thetradingbasics.com | All Rights Reserved

    The Trading Basics
    • Politics
    • World
    • Stocks
    • Investing
    • Editor’s pick