Conservative commentator and MAGA critic Ana Navarro-Cárdenas had some sharp words for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's praise of the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs that may well spark a global trade war.
Navarro-Cárdenas claimed she has known Rubio for 30 years, from their early days in Miami, FL, politics. She has been highly critical of Rubio's descent into MAGA policies, where he once called Donald Trump a "con artist" who "hijacked the conservative movement."
Rubio was present in the Rose Garden Wednesday when Trump declared "liberation day" and signed an executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs affecting some 65 countries.
Shortly after the event, Rubio posted on X, "Thank you, @POTUS! 'Made in America' is not just a tagline — it’s an economic and national security priority."
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Navarro-Cárdenas immediately jumped on the tweet, writing, "Marco, you are a free-trader. You argued against tariffs until like 5 minutes ago. Did you have a lobotomy, or does your servility just have no limits?"
A search of Rubio's past stance on free trade showed that he challenged Trump's desire to start a punitive trade war against countries he believed treated the United States unfairly.
During a 2016 Republican debate, Rubio said, "About the trade war — I don't understand, because your ties and the clothes are made in Mexico and in China. You're going to start a trade war against your own ties and suits. Why don't you make them in America?"
Also, in 2016, when Trump argued for 45% tariffs on Chinese goods, Rubio retorted, "I think we need to be very careful with tariffs, and here's why. China doesn't pay the tariff, the buyer pays the tariff: it gets passed on in the price to the consumer. So I think the better approach, the best thing we can do to protect ourselves against China economically is to make our economy stronger. It begins with tax reform. It continues with regulatory reform."
Another person who questioned Rubio for going all-in on tariffs was Kyle Matthews, with the Montreal Institute for Global Security. He posted under Rubio's tweet, "Best of luck in your diplomacy. You are going to need it."