U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his intention for a 'tariff war,' stating that the day he announced the 'reciprocal tariff' would be 'America's liberation day' on April 2 (local time).
In a Fox News interview broadcast on the 19th, Trump said he does not shy away from a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping when asked if he would meet him in June. However, he noted, 'Something will happen, and that is the tariff on April 2. China will pay, and other countries will pay.'
Trump further emphasized, 'We have been extorted by all countries in the world, both friends and foes,' stating, 'I will call April 2 “America's liberation day.”'
Trump has been signaling the announcement of reciprocal tariffs on April 2. He claimed, 'Look at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), we paid all the expenses until I got involved with NATO.'
Trump also addressed the federal government liability issue, stating, 'We must pay off all our liabilities.' He claimed, 'We will collect (tariff revenues, etc.) for years. We allowed our country to be “raped” and “plundered.” Much of it is the doing of our allies.'
He continued, 'Look at the European Union (EU). We can't sell them cars, but they sell us millions of cars,' adding, 'They don’t buy our agricultural products, but we buy their agricultural products.'
Trump dismissed concerns about a potential recession in the U.S. due to the 'tariff war,' saying, 'We will have the strongest economy in history.' He also stated, 'I only represent America,' adding, 'I am a patriot, and I take pride in that.'