Hallie Jackson corners Trump tariff defender: The plan is a ‘hot mess and that is a factually correct statement’

MSNBC's Hallie Jackson pointed out to a Republican defender of President Donald Trump's tariff proposal that the plan was a "hot mess."

While speaking to Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) on Thursday, Jackson noted that the congressman had not signed a letter opposing Trump's proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

"I want to send a message to the world and the president that I'm standing with him," Reed insisted. "I'm standing with him in regards to disrupting this trade policy that has left many Americans behind because of the trade policies that allow countries to take advantage of us. And he's doing something that prior presidents have not done. And that is leading on this issue aggressively and vigorously. And I appreciate that."

Jackson wondered how Reed was seemingly "not concerned" about retaliatory measures from the European Union.

"Short term pain, in my opinion, may be something that we have to incur in order to get long term gain for all of us as a country," the congressman opined. "And I'm willing to go down that path."

Jackson went on to remind Reed that Republican leadership in Congress opposes the tariffs.

"The way that this tariff plan unfolded has been a hot mess," the MSNBC host observed. "And I think that is just a factually correct statement based on our reporting over the last six or seven days since the president announced it."

"Why is there so much chaos in the White House?" Jackson asked. "And doesn't that start with the president himself and his leadership?"

"This is part of a style that the president has deployed," Reed replied.

"A style of hot messes?" Jackson pressed.

"No, this is a about keeping people on their heels," the New York Republican remarked. "That causes a lot of people not to react in the way that you typically see D.C. establishment folks react. And that type of disruption comes at it with what some people feel is chaos, which some people feel is disruptive. And that's what it's all about."

Watch the video below MSNBC.