President Donald Trump and his administration officials promised Americans he would have 90 tariff deals done within 90 days. It's been 63 days since "Liberation Day," which Trump declared on April 2. He has a little under four weeks left to meet the goal — and MSNBC host Katy Tur remarked there are thus far zero deals.
There's a possibility of counting a deal with the U.K., Tur said, but it's only a framework and, "technically, isn't set in stone."
"So, where are the other 89 deals or the other 199 deals?" Tur asked, referring to another Trump claim that he had already made 200 deals. There are not 200 countries in the world.
"Instead of announcements on compromises, we got another declaration today, this time doubling the already substantial 25% tariff on steel and aluminum to 50%," Tur said. "That was from President Trump. But as significant as that move is, the real fixation for the president is still China."
She cited a Tuesday Politico report saying that Trump is "obsessed" with having a call with China's President Xi Jinping. Trump is "convinced he can personally hash out deep-seated divisions between the world's two largest economies."
Tur asked: "So when is that conversation going to take place? And when it does, what will Donald Trump's goal be? What kind of deal does he want?"
The questions come after Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) probed Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick about what "reciprocal tariffs" are supposed to be if there's no actual reciprocity. He asked specifically about Vietnam.
"If Vietnam, for example, came to you tomorrow and said, okay, Mr. Secretary, you win," Kennedy questioned. "We're going to remove all tariffs and all trade barriers with the United States. Please do the same. Would you accept that deal?"
Lutnick said, "Absolutely not. Absolutely not. That would be the silliest thing we could do."
"What's the purpose of reciprocity, then? Is reciprocity not one of your goals?" Kennedy asked. "Are you telling the president that we shouldn't seek reciprocity? Is that what you're telling him?"
See the clip below or at the link here.
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