Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) expressed uncertainty about President Trump’s trade policy to CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday.
“I still don’t know exactly what his total strategy is,” Johnson said on Capitol Hill in a clip that aired on CNN’s “The Arena,” in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “We know what his goal was … he wants reciprocity.”
“I don’t know what the endgame is here yet,” Johnson added later
On Wednesday, Trump ratcheted tariffs to 125 percent on China and implemented a 90-day pause on “reciprocal” tariffs against all other trading partners except China.
“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
The pause follows markets across the globe facing intense instability and anxieties after the president’s tariff announcement last week.
The decision by the president to halt the higher “reciprocal” tariffs, which affected 60 countries early Wednesday, resulted in a swift market surge. Shortly after Trump’s post, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 2,000 points.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
