On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins responded to a question on if the goal of tariffs is to generate revenue or get other countries to lower their tariffs by saying “I think the answer to both of those is yes.” And it’s a “combination.” She also stated that “in the long-term, free trade, I think, is, perhaps the goal.”
Host Bret Baier asked, “Are these tariffs designed to generate revenues for the country or are they designed to negotiate each of these countries down to something more palatable for U.S. products and more palatable for U.S. companies?”
Rollins responded, “These tariffs are designed to completely realign the American economy around putting America first. So, I think the answer to both of those is yes.”
Baier then cut in to ask, “So it’s a combination.”
Rollins answered, “I believe it’s a combination. But this is the way President Trump thinks, right? It isn’t down this lane or this lane. It’s an all-of-the-above approach. We’re talking about tariffs now, and I’m the secretary of agriculture, and how our products are unfairly treated around the world. But it isn’t just about the tariff. It’s about how the E.U. treats our beef, how Australia won’t take our beef, how some countries won’t take our corn. And it isn’t a tariff question, it’s just an unfair trade practice and using unfair barriers to trade. So, this is an all-of-the-above approach across the Cabinet. We are all hands on deck. Just today, I had Ireland here talking about trade with the Irish. The president’s taking phone calls. I’ll take more phone calls tonight. And I know, certainly, other Cabinet members are, too.”
Later, she added, “At the end of the day, in the long-term, free trade, I think, is, perhaps the goal. But, right now, we are so unfairly treated, and have been for years, to realign around that and to fix it is what President Trump is working towards.”
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