Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake Criticizes Trump Tariff Proposal
Download mp3 (757.21 KB)Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake is speaking up about President Donald Trump’s controversial tariff proposal.
Flake joined MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" on Tuesday to criticize Trump’s plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum.
Flake said he doesn't know whether Trump will actually follow through with his plan, but the senator hopes he doesn’t.
"There is a phenomenon. We saw it on immigration, we’ve now seen it on guns where there's a Tuesday Trump versus a Thursday Trump. I hope there is a Thursday Trump on this issue where he says, you know, that’s just not a good way to go," Flake said.
Flake also says using the tariffs is not a good way to prod Mexico and Canada to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trump implied in a tweet Monday that he may exclude certain countries from tariffs if a “new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan has also criticized the proposed plan, saying it could lead to a damaging trade war.
We have large trade deficits with Mexico and Canada. NAFTA, which is under renegotiation right now, has been a bad deal for U.S.A. Massive relocation of companies & jobs. Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed. Also, Canada must..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2018
