Donald Trump said on Saturday he did not warn car industry executives against raising prices as tariffs on foreign-made autos come into force, telling NBC News he “couldn’t care less” if they do.
The president’s comments came as the White House prepared to impose new tariffs on a range of consumer goods on 2 April, a move that has drawn criticism from international leaders and concerns about potential price increases for consumers.
Among those to express concern on Sunday about Trump’s devotion to tariffs was US senator Rand Paul, Trump’s fellow Republican.
“International trade since [the second world war] has made us phenomenally rich,” Paul said on The Cats Roundtable on New York’s WABC 770 AM. “He says, ‘We’ve been taken advantage of.’ But I really strongly disagree because trade has made us so rich and really has made the world a better place.
“The more we trade … the less we fight.”
In the NBC News interview, Trump said his permanent tariffs on foreign-made automobiles would be a boost to US-domiciled factories and was confident the move would lead to increased sales of American-made cars. “I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars,” Trump said.
Trump, who won a second White House term during November’s presidential election part by promising voters that he would lower consumer prices, maintained that he would only consider negotiating on the tariffs “if people are willing to give us something of great value”.
The tariffs are part of Trump’s efforts to promote American manufacturing and reduce the country’s trade deficit.
Trump’s trade policies have been a key focus of his presidency, with ongoing tensions with major trading partners.
On Sunday, a CBS News poll found that 52% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy. About 55% of the poll’s respondents said Trump’s focus on tariffs was “too much”.
Guardian staff contributed reporting
