Republican pollster Frank Luntz issued a warning to Donald Trump just hours before the president was set to announce his "liberation day" tariffs that experts say threaten to drain Americans' bank accounts as they shop for everyday items.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, told CNBC Wednesday that Trump's sweeping tariffs "will throw the global economy into turmoil and leave Americans holding the bag." But Trump appeared to be plowing full steam ahead.
Luntz, who spoke with CNN's Boris Sanchez Wednesday, called the United States a "polarized and angry country" that's only going to get more unstable as the Trump tariffs drag on.
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"The reason why I appreciate this discussion is that it's a chance to say precisely, the agenda and the policies have support, the communication and the execution do not," Luntz said. "So, I don't know if you're Democrat or Republican, you're going to be mad at this analysis, but this is the way things are, and we should start to pursue the truth rather than pursue some sort of partisan gain."
Sanchez asked, "How do you take that sentiment and apply it to...this announcement on tariffs?"
"It's going to freak the world out, and some Americans don't care," Luntz answered.
He claimed that Trump chose 4 p.m. for his announcement "because the markets are closed at that point."
Luntz continued, "You could see an explosion on Wall Street, and Donald Trump has always used the stock market as a measurement of his success. Well, he can't ignore it now. And if the markets are saying this is not the right way to do it, he needs to listen."
Luntz admitted that Americans "are tired of being treated as second class citizens. They're tired of countries like China taking advantage of our markets, selling their products and blocking our products," he said.
"But they don't want to pay more, and the tariffs are like a tax. And, so, we've got once again, a mixed message. I hope Americans respond slowly to this because in the end, our businesses are at stake. Our economic system is at stake. Capitalism is at stake. And how we handle this will determine how the rest of the world is going to see us, trade with us, negotiate with us, and treat us in the months and years to follow."
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