Speaker Johnson Squirms When Asked About Trump Tariffs Increasing Prices: ‘Uh… We’ll Have To See’

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) addressed concerns that President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs will increase the price of various goods in the coming weeks and months.

Trump has threatened a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico – the two largest trading partners of the U.S. Contrary to many of Trump’s previous statements, tariffs are paid by the importing company and passed on to consumers. The tariffs could go into effect as early as Saturday, with the auto industry in particular being heavily impacted.

On Monday, Johnson took questions at a Republican congressional conference at Trump’s Doral Miami Resort where a reporter raised the possibility of a trade war and the price of various goods increasing as a result.

“I’m not going to predict the outcome of, uh, first of all, which tariffs will be enacted and how it will affect prices,” Johnson began. “We’ll have to see. I think you’re seeing a measured approach by the president. Tariffs, clearly, are going to be part of the policy agenda from the White House. All of that he’s said to us will be in the executive branch and not the legislative branch. So, they’ll have unilateral authority over it. But I think he’s gonna be wise in how he does that.”

The speaker then added – despite Trump’s suggestion he would impose tariffs on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico – that he doesn’t expect the president will impose blanket tariffs.

“I don’t think you’ll see across-the-board tariffs in whole countries or industries,” he went on. “I don’t believe that’s what will happen. I think he’s gonna deal with the unfairness that we see out on the world stage.”

Johnson went on to slam China as “a terrible trading partner” because “they abuse the system and steal our intellectual property.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.