'I didn't say that!' GOP lawmaker balks when confronted with own words on tariff reversal
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) of the House Ways and Means Committee spoke with CNN's Brianna Keilar Wednesday shortly after President Donald Trump announced he was issuing a 90-day reprieve on tariffs for every country except China.
The news caused whiplash in the markets, as stocks rebounded into green territory.
"We have to do these things to bring other countries that are not treating us well to the table," Murphy said.
Keilar asked what that meant for allies like Australia, adding, "Why treat them like this to get to this point?"
Murphy answered, "There will be obviously some collateral damage in one way or the other, but you can't pick and choose, you have to have an international policy. And this is what the president is doing."
"He's picking and choosing," Keilar asserted, using Murphy's own words. "By definition, he's picking and choosing today. He was picking and choosing with how he decided different countries would get different tariffs. He's picking and choosing today by giving a reprieve to countries except for China."
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"Yeah, he sure is," Murphy said, "because those are the countries that are — "
"But, you just said, 'You can't pick and choose,'" Keilar maintained.
"Well, no, no, no, no, I didn't say that, I said you have to come back — but these are picking and choose because these are the countries that said, 'Hey, you're right, we are doing this wrong.'"
Keilar then asked about the committee hearing during which trade representative Jamieson Greer was caught off guard by the White House announcement delaying the tariffs.
"The U.S. trade representative — after the treasury secretary insisted this was the plan all along to do it this way — the trade secretary was asked when he was made aware of this pause, and he said the decision was made just a few minutes ago."
Murphy responded, "Sure. Well, you know Brianna, when you're playing poker, you don't show your hands before. You don't tell them what you're going to do —"
"This is after the hand was played," Keilar pushed back.
"No, no, the hand was not played yet," Murphy argued.
"The decision was made just a few minutes ago. It's been under discussion."
"Right, it's been under discussion — Well, Brianna, if you let me talk."