Watch: Trump commerce consultant Jamieson Greer, Rep. Steven Horsford have fiery trade on tariff pause
As President Trump introduced a pause to his sweeping reciprocal tariffs Wednesday, his commerce consultant, Jamieson Greer, was in the course of testifying at a Home listening to on the administration’s commerce coverage.
Greer appeared to study of the president’s choice to pause the tariffs for 90 days the identical time the general public did, as he was sitting earlier than members of the Home Methods and Means Subcommittee on Commerce.
Requested when he was made conscious of the pause by Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat from Nevada, Greer mentioned, “Properly, I understood the choice was made a couple of minutes in the past. It is one thing that is been below dialogue.”
“So do you know that this was below dialogue and why did you not embody that as a part of your opening remarks?” Horsford requested.
Greer replied he does not share the contents of his discussions with Mr. Trump.
Instantly after Mr. Trump introduced the pause, the U.S. inventory market surged. It had fallen considerably after the president’s preliminary announcement on the tariffs. A common tariff of 10% remained in place for practically each nation, besides China, which faces a fair increased tariff of 125%. China raised its personal tariffs in opposition to the U.S.
Horsford pressed Greer for particulars of the pause.
“I perceive it is 90 days. I have never spoken to the president since I have been on this listening to,” Greer mentioned.
Horsford interrupted, “So the commerce consultant hasn’t spoken to the president of america a few world re-ordering of commerce?”
“Sure I’ve, I am simply right here in a listening to with you,” Greer interjected.
“And but he introduced it on a tweet? W.T.F.? Who’s in cost?” Horsford yelled.
“The president of america is in cost,” Greer mentioned.
“And what have you learnt about these particulars?” Horsford requested. Earlier than Greer might reply, he mentioned, “It seems like your boss simply pulled the rug out from below you.”
“There is no technique,” Horsford mentioned. “You simply came upon. Three seconds in the past. Sitting right here. We noticed you. For those who got here right here understanding that you just have been going to be turned off, that these tariffs have been going to be turned off, why did not you embody that in your opening assertion? Why did not you reference that as a part of your testimony?”
Greer repeated he does not disclose his conversations with the president.
“These have been particular questions we requested you all alongside,” Horsford mentioned. “What is the technique? These are actual penalties for the American folks and small companies. … That is beginner hour and it must cease. What does this even imply to your negotiating technique? How are you answerable for negotiation if the president is tweeting about this from wherever the hell he’s?”
“The president was elected and he runs the commerce coverage and I counsel him and execute his coverage,” Greer mentioned.
“Do you know that this was taking place?” Horsford pressed.
“We had been discussing every kind of choices, Sir,” Greer mentioned.
“There was no technique. There was no plan,” Horsford mentioned, including that Mr. Trump “put our financial system in disarray and close to collapse.”
The Trump administration has argued the tariffs have been a “negotiating technique.”
Horsford requested Greer if this was market manipulation.
When Greer answered, “No,” Horsford, mentioned “Why not? If it was a plan. If it was all the time the plan, how is that this not market manipulation?”
“We’re making an attempt to reset the worldwide commerce system,” Greer mentioned.
“And what has that accomplished? How have you ever achieved any of that? However to enact monumental hurt on the American folks?” Horsford mentioned. “Tariffs are a device. It may be used within the acceptable approach to defend U.S. jobs and small companies, however that is not what this does, so if it is not market manipulation, what’s it? Who’s benefitting? What billionaire simply bought richer?”
Horsford then slammed Republicans for his or her price range plan and repeated to Greer, “Who’s in cost? As a result of it certain does not appear like it is the commerce consultant. You simply bought the rug pulled out from below you.”
“I want I might really feel some empathy, however the empathy I’ve is for the American folks whose very wellbeing and livelihoods are being effected. This isn’t a recreation. That is actual life,” Horsford mentioned earlier than yielding his time.
