White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took on an Associated Press reporter in a tense exchange during a press briefing on Tuesday, shutting down attempts to frame President Donald Trump’s tariff policies as tax hikes. The moment highlighted the ongoing debate over Trump’s trade policies and their impact on the American economy.
The confrontation began when an AP reporter questioned Leavitt about Trump’s economic priorities, suggesting that his proposed tariffs amounted to tax increases. Leavitt quickly rejected the characterization, asserting that tariffs are not tax hikes but a mechanism to protect American industry.
“Not true,” Leavitt interjected when the reporter described tariffs as tax hikes, explaining that the administration views them as a countermeasure against unfair foreign trade practices. “Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that have been ripping us off. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people.”
“The President is a staunch advocate of tax cuts. He campaigned on no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no taxes on Social Security benefits,” she said, reaffirming that these measures are a priority for the administration.
The exchange escalated when the reporter challenged Leavitt directly, asking, “I’m sorry, have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have.” The reporter argued that tariffs are levied on importers rather than foreign governments, implying that American businesses ultimately bear the cost.
Leavitt fired back, defending Trump’s trade strategy and calling the reporter’s questioning “insulting.”
“Ultimately, when we have fair and balanced trade, which the American people have not seen in decades, revenues will stay here, wages will go up, and our country will be made wealthy again,” she said. “I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.”
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Recently, The Associated Press sued three Trump administration officials, including Leavitt, after the White House restricted AP reporters’ access in response to the news agency refusing to use the administration’s preferred term, “Gulf of America,” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” The lawsuit, which cites First and Fifth Amendment violations, has a preliminary injunction hearing set for March 20
The press briefing came just hours after Trump announced a major escalation in trade tensions with Canada, ordering a sharp increase in tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The move was in direct response to Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to impose a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S.
Trump stated on Tuesday morning that the Secretary of Commerce would raise tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%. He also warned that unless Canada rolls back additional trade restrictions, tariffs on Canadian automobiles would increase on April 2nd, which he claimed would shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada.
Beyond tariffs, Trump announced a forthcoming declaration of a National Emergency on Electricity within affected areas, arguing that swift action was necessary to counter what he described as an economic threat from Canada. He also questioned why the U.S. was allowing Canada to supply electricity, criticizing the use of energy exports as leverage in trade disputes.
Perhaps the most entertaining part of Trump’s announcement was his suggestion that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, which he claimed would eliminate all tariffs and trade disputes between the two nations. He argued that Canadians would benefit from lower taxes, greater military security, and economic stability.
