‘I Don’t Know, Pamela’: CNN Anchor Stumps GOP Senator On Whether Trump’s ‘Strategic Uncertainty’ On Tariffs Is Just An ‘Excuse’
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) admitted on Tuesday he wasn’t sure the White House touting “strategic uncertainty” on tariffs is just an “excuse,” though he argued in favor of President Donald Trump’s trade war.
Kennedy joined Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown remotely on The Situation Room following a White House press briefing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking to reporters about Trump’s trade war taking bites out of the market, Bessent said “strategic uncertainty” is a tool being used in current trade negotiations.
“President Trump creates what I would call strategic uncertainty in the negotiations,” he said, adding there will soon be “certainty” once the first deals are announced.
Bessent argued that “certainty is not necessarily a good thing in negotiating.”
Brown asked Kennedy on Tuesday whether the line about “strategic uncertainty” was just an “excuse” for market “chaos.”
Kennedy admitted he wasn’t sure, but overall argued for Trump’s trade wars.
“I don’t know, Pamela, I don’t know. Here’s what I think about tariffs. Tariffs represent an intervention by a government. It’s a government intervening in the free exchange of goods and services. Now, it’s not a news flash that many foreign countries, including but not limited to China, have used tariffs and trade barriers for years to disadvantage the American worker and the American economy. President Trump decided to try to do something about it,” the senator said.
He admitted the process is going smoother than he anticipated.
“I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but that’s the way I analyze what’s going and the president has given several different interpretations of his intentions with respect to tariffs,” he said.
Check out the exchange below:
PAMELA BROWN: You talk about people tolerating these high prices. As you know, critics of President Trump’s tariff strategy have said that this is a tax on Americans. Just 35% approve of President’s Trump strategy. Do you buy the White House line that the chaos around the President’s trade war is simply, quote, strategic uncertainty, or do you think that’s just an excuse?
JOHN KENNEDY: I don’t know, Pamela, I don’t know. Here’s what I think about tariffs. Tariffs represent an intervention by a government. It’s a government intervening in the free exchange of goods and services. Now, it’s not a news flash that many foreign countries, including but not limited to China, have used tariffs and trade barriers for years to disadvantage the American worker and the American economy. President Trump decided to try to do something about it. He basically got up and said, I want everybody to say hello to my little friends. And he jacked up tariffs, American tariffs, and half the valley shook. But then a strange thing happened. I thought that other countries would blow up and we’d enter into a trade war. Instead, many other countries have said, no mas. They said, okay, we want to lower our trade barriers, but you’ve got to lower yours, America. And I think that’s a good thing. I think our goal here ought to be to lower trade barriers and tariffs on both sides. Now, it’s been very disruptive. And I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but that’s the way I analyze what’s going on and the president has given several different interpretations of his intentions with respect to tariffs. I don’t know how much of that is negotiating, but that’s the way I see it anyway, Pam.
Watch above via CNN.
