CNBC’s Joe Kernen Gushes as Trump Tells Him He’s 80% Behind His Agenda: ‘Eighty Percent is Good!’

CNBC’s Joe Kernen rolled over on Monday when he accepted praise from Donald Trump and conducted a less-than-challenging interview with the president.

Throughout the interview, Trump unloaded on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce by accusing them of caring more about American companies than the country itself. He also said the Federal Reserve is “very, very destructive to us” for not lowering interest rates, and he also defended his tariff plan despite recent reports and criticisms suggesting that his ploy with Mexico was more or less a political stunt.

“Without tariffs, we would be captive to every country, and we have been for many years,” Trump said. “That’s why we have an $800 billion trading deficit…They take advantage of us in every way possible, and the U.S. Chamber is right there with them.”

As Trump continued to hammer The New York Times (again) while defending his trade wars with Mexico and China, he eventually started buttering Kernen up by remarking on how they seemed aligned on the impact tariffs will have.

“You got it, Joe. I noticed you were just about 80% there. Not quite 100%, but you were 80% there. But what will happen is the companies will move into the United States, back where they came from.”

Kernen snickered at that, and when he eventually got a word in, he remarked on how “dogmatic” Chamber of Commerce executive vice president Myron Brilliant was in a previous interview about never using tariffs.

“I was kind of kidding around with him and pushing back,” Kernen said, “but 80% is good. That’s a good grade for me. I’ll take it.”

Trump went on from there with a tangent on how Brilliant “is not protecting our country. He’s doing a very big disservice…”

Watch above, via CNBC.

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