‘BEEP BEEP BEEP’: Trump Adviser Walks Back Lower Prices Promise as Truck Literally Backs Up During Live Hit

A live TV hit by the Director of the National Economic Council was accompanied by an unexpected sound effect that seemed to underscore his comments about consumer prices.

On Thursday, Trump said he will impose reciprocal tariffs on nations that tax American goods. His announcement comes after he imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports earlier in the week. Because tariffs are paid by the businesses that import goods, those businesses often pass on the extra costs to consumers by raising prices.

If prices do increase – as they already have been on certain goods such as groceries and gasoline – that would undercut President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to lower prices on consumer staples.

Kevin Hassett appeared on Thursday’s MSNBC Reports, where Ali Vitali asked him about Trump’s tariffs and prices potentially going higher.

“Can you – without invoking the past administration – guarantee that prices won’t rise because of these tariffs?” she asked.

As Hassett began his equivocal response, a steady beeping sound could be heard in the background. It was the kind of noise made by trucks when going in reverse:

HASSETT: I, you know, prices move up [BEEP], prices move down [BEEP]. That’s the way the world works, right? [BEEP] The economy, uh [BEEP]

VITALI: Yeah, but you’re an economist. [BEEP] You forecast trends like this [BEEP]. Will consumers see prices rise?

HASSETT: My expectation [BEEP] is that prices [BEEP] will fluctuate. [BEEP] And that when economists study the fluctuations of the prices that they’ll wonder what the causes were. And there will be many. And so, am I confident that there won’t be strong evidence of a price effect of tariffs? Yes, I am confident.

Meanwhile, when asked a similar question on CNN, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) also hedged, stating that though he supports Trump’s tariffs, “I can’t guarantee” the tariffs won’t lead to higher prices.

Watch above via MSNBC.