'How long can this go on?' Republican pressed after admitting Americans will feel 'pain'
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) told CNN's Brianna Keilar that he isn't shocked that American automakers are hiking prices because President Donald Trump said that there would be "some short-term pain" as a result of his tariffs.
LaHood committed to Trump's language, saying, "I don't think we can continue to go down this path of allowing countries, particularly China and others, to take advantage of the U.S. market. What President Trump is trying to do through his policies is right many of the wrongs that have been done in the trade space and bring back some of those core manufacturing jobs to the United States."
He said Trump should be given the room to negotiate. Both U.S. and Chinese leaders have said that Trump has not called to negotiate, USA Today reported. Still, LaHood maintained that Trump's team is at work on the negotiations.
Keilar cited taxes that Trump is calling "reciprocal tariffs" for Canada and Mexico at 10% until a deal can be worked out. Ford, for example, is cautioning that prices may increase as much as $600 to $2,000 per vehicle.
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"That's not even the full cost," Keilar said. "They're saying they're not even passing on the full cost of the tariff. So, it really does become a bottom-line issue for the automakers. They're absorbing the cost. You have this idled Stellantis plant in your district, which was widely reported that the reopening of the plant was delayed because of sales and profits tumbling. So, if sales and profits tumble from tariffs, could you be looking at those jobs being further delayed?"
LaHood said he didn't think so because Congress is at work on extending Trump's tax cuts. The cuts have not expired yet, but are set to expire at the end of the year. He also claimed that supporting Trump's budget would get energy production to an all-time high, which would also help. The United States reached a record energy production in 2024, according to Politifact .
Last month, Fortune reported a North American energy slowdown, "especially for onshore U.S. crude oil." It also "threatens to worsen" due to "weaker commodity prices, recession fears, and President Trump's tariff uncertainty."
"I think we're going to give rocket fuel to the economy," LaHood promised.
"When you're talking about short-term pain. How long can Americans go without a deal between the U.S. and China?" Keilar asked.
LaHood said that the tariffs should be "used in a strategic and tactical way to go after bad actors." That hasn't been the case, however, with Trump hitting American allies like Canada, Business Insider reported on Monday.
"Most Americans, you know, want to get through the week, right, and be solvent if they can," the CNN host explained. "And we've seen time and again in politics that that is the top priority for voters. So, how long do you think they will tolerate this? Because I hear you talking about strategic goals. And some of them may agree with you on that. But if they can't get the things they need for their family, that is something that they don't have the luxury of desiring over some of these things that they need. So what do you think? What is the timeline that you're looking at, because you're talking about short-term pain? But really, what is it for people that you think they can endure?"
LaHood said that his constituents are "very patriotic" and they want to win the trade war with China, and that the Trump tax plan will bring down inflation and bring relief to the American people.
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