WEBVTT - Who Wants Tariffs?  Debra Saunders talks to Armstrong & Getty

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<v Speaker 1>I should like to congratulate you and having done a

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<v Speaker 1>fantastic job on behalf of the people of the United States.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's an honor to have worked with you. And

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know exactly what your timing is, but stick around.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's do this deal. Trumps in London. We're not going

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about the stupid high school gossip crap about

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<v Speaker 1>who said something mean about who just I can't believe

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<v Speaker 1>the media falls for that. Anyway, there is some pretty

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<v Speaker 1>important stuff happening. I'm I'm concerned about taking on two

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<v Speaker 1>different countries with trade as the weapon. Deborah J. Saunders

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<v Speaker 1>is the white House, a white House correspondent for the

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<v Speaker 1>Las Vegas Review Journal. They have no white Horse correspondents

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<v Speaker 1>at the Review Journal as far as I know. Debora

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<v Speaker 1>joins us, Now, how are you the white horse correspondent's

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<v Speaker 1>busy at the track today? I'm working in these new

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<v Speaker 1>protein bars, Debora, and they really hang on your teeth,

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<v Speaker 1>why in your cheeks? And I'm showing white house becomes

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<v Speaker 1>white horse very quickly, so listen. Obviously, Donald J is

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<v Speaker 1>embracing tariffs as a weapon. I've got the Chinese trade negotiation,

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<v Speaker 1>as I prefer to call it, which is necessary and important,

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<v Speaker 1>but I'm a little surprised to see him unleashing the

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<v Speaker 1>same threat on Mexico. In fact, your recent article little

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<v Speaker 1>enthusiasm found for Trump's planning to impose tariffs on Mexico.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the story, Well, there is little enthusiasm. So my

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<v Speaker 1>theory as as we speak now just sort of based

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<v Speaker 1>on the way things usually work here is Trump came,

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<v Speaker 1>he's wanted to close the border. He didn't because it

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<v Speaker 1>was the consequences were too big. He comes up with

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<v Speaker 1>these ideas that he wants to use to get people

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<v Speaker 1>to bend to his will. So closing the border he

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<v Speaker 1>can't do. So he thinks about, oh, I'm gonna do

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<v Speaker 1>a tariffs, and aids inside the White House try to

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<v Speaker 1>talk him out of it, and it works, and it works,

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<v Speaker 1>and then one day's his Nope, you're not talking to

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<v Speaker 1>me out of it. I'm going to do it. And

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<v Speaker 1>then uh, he's done that, and now it's supposed to

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<v Speaker 1>start June ten, and now you have a new group

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<v Speaker 1>of people telling him, know, this is really a bad idea.

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<v Speaker 1>So we know that the Foreign Minister of Mexico is

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<v Speaker 1>going to be meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompey tomorrow,

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<v Speaker 1>and the question is are they going to work out

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<v Speaker 1>something that makes it look like boast both sides can

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<v Speaker 1>save face? Uh, and basically the charists go away, or

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<v Speaker 1>are we going to go forward as Trump's suggested could

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<v Speaker 1>happen when he was speaking at this press conference this morning,

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<v Speaker 1>and really have a two front trade war that could really,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, probably the US economy. I was just talking

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<v Speaker 1>to an economist you said, excided could bring us into

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<v Speaker 1>a recession if he got up to with Mexico. Well, listen,

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<v Speaker 1>before we get too far down the road of whether

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<v Speaker 1>tariffs are an appropriate lever, what is Trump asking the

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<v Speaker 1>Mexicans to do? He doesn't say, he won't say what

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<v Speaker 1>he wants them to well exactly, but in other words,

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<v Speaker 1>there's no I want you to reduce the number of

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<v Speaker 1>people crossing the order by there's no there's no criteria

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<v Speaker 1>that there's no set of criteria that have been released,

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<v Speaker 1>So we don't know exactly what it is. Well, and

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<v Speaker 1>if you don't know, nobody does. I mean, well, Donald, Jane,

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<v Speaker 1>Mike Pompeo might know, but you're a White House correspondent.

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<v Speaker 1>They've sent out a letter that when they when they

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<v Speaker 1>announced this, they said, we don't want to have we

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<v Speaker 1>want to just sort of decide based on what we're seeing.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean that was in that was in the announcement,

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<v Speaker 1>so that there is no uh, they're not asking for

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<v Speaker 1>anything specific. They're just trying to squeeze Mexico to give

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<v Speaker 1>to staunch the flow of immigrants from Central America. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I get that, but can this do this? Yeah, that's

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<v Speaker 1>a It's a serious problem. There's no doubt about that.

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<v Speaker 1>Or I think it's no no doubt for most people now,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's not a manufactured crisis. It's a real crisis,

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<v Speaker 1>and Mexico has got to help with us. Is So,

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<v Speaker 1>is Trump just feel like because the battle with China,

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<v Speaker 1>that's a serious battle of heavyweights. But he's got a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people on his side. Even Chuck Schumer's saying,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, stay stronghold the course on Mexico. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>see anybody on Trump's side. Um, for the greater issues, certainly,

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<v Speaker 1>you mean, but for the tariff's hair off the tariff

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<v Speaker 1>as a weapon. But does Trump just think we're so

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<v Speaker 1>much bigger than Mexico that he can just, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>laterally bend them to his will. Yeah, but again, I

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<v Speaker 1>mean I also think there have been times a way

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<v Speaker 1>of seeing him sort of talk big about the results

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<v Speaker 1>he's going to get, and you don't really see much.

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<v Speaker 1>But there's a bit, there's a nice ceremony and people

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<v Speaker 1>shake hands and they all feel good. The question is

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<v Speaker 1>how tough is he going to be about getting concessions

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<v Speaker 1>from them. Leaving the goals vague allows you to get

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<v Speaker 1>out at any time so that you can make it

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<v Speaker 1>so no one can meet them, and and it and

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<v Speaker 1>it makes it harder for Mexico to UM to really

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<v Speaker 1>know for sure what it is supposed to do. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>we do know that they have done things to UM

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<v Speaker 1>to stage the flow of of immigrants from Central America,

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<v Speaker 1>but there's only so much they can do. Debra J. Saunders,

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<v Speaker 1>Whitehouse correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journal. Well, one

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<v Speaker 1>thing is clear, Deborah, I mean, it's got to be

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<v Speaker 1>at the southern end of Mexico that the action takes place.

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<v Speaker 1>Just not letting the Central Americans in the whole keep

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<v Speaker 1>them from coming into the US. Thing North Korea and

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<v Speaker 1>and East Germany and prisons keep people in that's that's

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<v Speaker 1>not really a legitimate thing. For a state to do. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if I agree. There's not that much

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<v Speaker 1>they can do if they attack the southern border, which

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<v Speaker 1>is a much smaller border than our border with Mexico.

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<v Speaker 1>I think they could do a lot more to stop

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<v Speaker 1>people from getting into their own country. Okay, But um,

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<v Speaker 1>I guess we're asking them to do what we won't

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<v Speaker 1>do ourselves. Uh. And and I believe that that's an

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<v Speaker 1>interesting point right now, right there. And And also, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>we do know that Mexico has agreed to let people

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<v Speaker 1>stay there while they were trying to get asylum. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that the concessions that have been made. So

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<v Speaker 1>that's a very good point you make. So Trump is

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<v Speaker 1>supposed to say to Mexico, Hey, you gotta get control

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<v Speaker 1>of your southern border. We've been sneaking people into your

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<v Speaker 1>country for decades. Do Yeah, what are you high? You know?

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<v Speaker 1>That's funny. I thought that was kind of a I

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't sure what you meant, ever, But the more I

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<v Speaker 1>think about it, the more ironic it becomes. I'm looking,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm looking at the border with the Guatemala and Belize.

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<v Speaker 1>As you know, does anybody fling from Belize or is

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<v Speaker 1>it just too pleasant. I haven't heard of Belizians. It's

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<v Speaker 1>not considered part of the Northern Triangle countries that are

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<v Speaker 1>Why not they get drummed out for something I perhaps,

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps perhaps are happy and believe I've never been to

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<v Speaker 1>belieze I, but I'm sure it's in fine place. Will

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<v Speaker 1>stipulate the Belizians are happy. Um, so, yeah, you've got

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<v Speaker 1>to control your border because people are coming through the country,

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<v Speaker 1>or we'll put tariff signing. Well, well, we'll see how

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<v Speaker 1>it goes. Listen, I tell you this, and I've got

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<v Speaker 1>to voice this for Trump fans. Nothing has been done,

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<v Speaker 1>nothing but lies, hypocrisy, shot, lip service, and the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of it on immigration. And there are a hell of

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people in the United States who would

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<v Speaker 1>prefer a somewhat haphazard threatening of tariffs and then pulling

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<v Speaker 1>it back and then going finding Plan B as opposed

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<v Speaker 1>to what I think. And I'm certainly not accusing you

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<v Speaker 1>of this, but the mainstream media trying to make Trump

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<v Speaker 1>a joke for perhaps making missteps, but he's trying to

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<v Speaker 1>do something at least. Yeah, I mean, it's in my mind,

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<v Speaker 1>it's too bad that when when Republicans control both the

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<v Speaker 1>House in the Senate that they didn't work on on

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<v Speaker 1>the on the asylum. Yeah, no, kidding, take away that advantage, right,

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<v Speaker 1>that this is gonna be the big mistake for the

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<v Speaker 1>Trump first term. Um, just as people thought it was

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<v Speaker 1>a big mistake for Obama not to do something about

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<v Speaker 1>the Dream Act. And I think people are going to

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<v Speaker 1>be looking at this insane. You had a chance to

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<v Speaker 1>do something serious, but you thought you thought that you

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<v Speaker 1>could just I think something should be done and things

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<v Speaker 1>would happen, and you didn't understand how much work it

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<v Speaker 1>is to get things through Washington. And now I just

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know what's going to happen next. It's possible

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<v Speaker 1>that we go further. The thing is that one of

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<v Speaker 1>the reasons that the U. S. Economy is doing really well,

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<v Speaker 1>I believe are the Trump tax cuts right, and they

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<v Speaker 1>brought certainty for companies that had an understanding of the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that they could keep more of their money and

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<v Speaker 1>they had a good idea of how things would work. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>And when you when you now make them think that

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<v Speaker 1>they're not sure how they're going to handle their supply

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<v Speaker 1>chains and what they're going to be able to get,

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<v Speaker 1>you know what goods they'll be able to get from

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<v Speaker 1>different places. That adds an uncertainty that I don't think

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<v Speaker 1>is good for the economy. And so there are a

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<v Speaker 1>number of people the tax Foundation is an example that

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<v Speaker 1>think that this just takes away all the benefits from

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<v Speaker 1>from from from you know, between China Mexico for sure.

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<v Speaker 1>But but this takes away the benefits of the Tax

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<v Speaker 1>Cuts and Jobs Act. Debor J. Saunders, White House correspondent

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<v Speaker 1>for the Las Vegas Review Journal. Debora, thank Q as

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<v Speaker 1>always great to talk to you. Thank you for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>Well done. So yeah, I could, I could easily see that,

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<v Speaker 1>especially as we're in the final crunch time of only

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<v Speaker 1>five and twenty days till the election. Um, those who

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<v Speaker 1>would like to see the Trump administration uh, you know

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<v Speaker 1>reelected are saying, oh, for God's sake, the one thing

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<v Speaker 1>you can't do is mess up the economy. So they're concerned.

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<v Speaker 1>We shall see. Jack the chihuahua, a popular pet name

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<v Speaker 1>for the state Mexico. Is it going to cost more

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<v Speaker 1>now because of the tariffs the Chihuahua. I have this

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<v Speaker 1>because listen, the mainstream media that hates Trump is making

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<v Speaker 1>a big deal over you know how it could really

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<v Speaker 1>screw up the economy and it could be a headwin

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<v Speaker 1>we don't need. But this is according to see an

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<v Speaker 1>end business. If President Donald trump'sose tariffs on Mexican products

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<v Speaker 1>go through, Chippotle burritos could get a little more expensive

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<v Speaker 1>then their paragraph two, and then paragraph three and on

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<v Speaker 1>their in paragraph four. Uh, this is the Chipotle chief

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<v Speaker 1>finance officer said, if the tariffs become permanent, which is

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<v Speaker 1>never going to happen, that's not that that The point

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<v Speaker 1>is that anyway, if they did, Jack, brace yourselves. Chipotle

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<v Speaker 1>and I quote could also consider passing on these costs

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<v Speaker 1>through a modest price increase, such as about a nickel

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<v Speaker 1>on a burrito. Wow. Um so sense, friends, you can't

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<v Speaker 1>even consider yourself in the world of journalism if you

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<v Speaker 1>write stories about and if they became permanent, that's not

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<v Speaker 1>even on the table. That's just not even a part

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<v Speaker 1>of the conversation. Were even talking about that, And even

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<v Speaker 1>if it did, it's still just five cents on my

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<v Speaker 1>burrito nickel. I need a burrito right now out that's

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<v Speaker 1>my supporting Mexico or the United States. If I'm supporting

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<v Speaker 1>the United States right if I continue to buy Mexican products,

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<v Speaker 1>at the higher price. I don't know. I'm confused. The

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<v Speaker 1>long and short of it is, I'm going to eat

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<v Speaker 1>a burrito farm Strong and Getty