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It's nothing unusual for President Donald Trump to lie, but every now and then, one whopper is so bald-faced that even a jaded public is shocked.
This week's came in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. The president discussed a number of issues from the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to disdain for the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but his false statements on the tariffs he's imposed and subsequently touted raised eyebrows everywhere.
“We don’t even have tariffs. I’m using tariffs to negotiate...Where do we have tariffs? We don’t have tariffs anywhere.”
Even Daniel Dale, a reporter for the Toronto Star who often fact checks the president, was flabbergasted.
This is one of the wildest Trump lies of his presidency. He told the Wall Street Journal that the tariffs he has im… https://t.co/6HMXRy1Ja0— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1540386482.0
In reality, Trump has granted a number of tariffs, perhaps most notably against China, where the president implemented tariffs on over $200 billion worth of goods, leading some to fear a trade war. He has also imposed tariffs on metal imports from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. What's more, the president has openly bragged about these tariffs numerous times.
Tariffs are working far better than anyone ever anticipated. China market has dropped 27% in last 4months, and they… https://t.co/oQ4zRozeHZ— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1533412060.0
Our Country was built on Tariffs, and Tariffs are now leading us to great new Trade Deals - as opposed to the horri… https://t.co/tnCxly8rCA— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1534345456.0
Even as recently as yesterday.
Billions of dollars are, and will be, coming into United States coffers because of Tariffs. Great also for negotiat… https://t.co/pcF6LSglR2— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1540313026.0
People were pretty stunned, and Preet Bharara spoke for many when he tweeted simply:
?? https://t.co/IzWzSaiOAi— Preet Bharara (@Preet Bharara) 1540389266.0
People are calling Trump out.
@ddale8 At what point do his lies become delusions?— Greg (@Greg) 1540386571.0
@ddale8 I wish everyone else would see that your page didn't self-destruct because you used the word "lie". It's th… https://t.co/qQKvjTFwOE— Ashley (@Ashley) 1540386681.0
"We don't have tariffs anywhere," Trump, who has imposed steel and aluminium tariffs on Canada and most of the rest… https://t.co/DXZMm52x2L— Adrian Morrow (@Adrian Morrow) 1540390928.0
@ddale8 @kairyssdal When you repeatedly start a reply and then realize that there simply are no more words left to… https://t.co/A0PndGG7ZP— G≡n≡ral Patt≡n (@G≡n≡ral Patt≡n) 1540387651.0
And while the president may believe that tariffs are a good negotiating tactic, economists say that they could ultimately do more harm than good.
It's the general consensus that Trump's tariffs are not good for the average American.
Regarding his tariffs on Canadian Steel and Aluminum, a group of economic experts unanimously disagreed, strongly disagreed, or did not answer when asked if the tariffs would improve American welfare.
The ones truly paying for the tariffs are American citizens who are likely to see an inflation in prices on many everyday goods.
“For many companies, higher input costs [due to Trump’s tariffs] are passed on to retailers or customers. Some simp… https://t.co/R6YSGcGBtK— Jesse Lehrich (@Jesse Lehrich) 1540386962.0
Americans seem to agree that Trump's excessive, retaliatory tariffs are the wrong path to take.
Trump's #tradewar is having an economic impact and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It might not be in the new… https://t.co/4SEpAWP16Y— Dwight Evans (@Dwight Evans) 1540386352.0
Ford Motor Co. is escalating its criticism of the Trump administration’s metals tariffs that the company has alread… https://t.co/uCs21Lvbbu— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@Jon Cooper 🇺🇸) 1540320043.0
By a 16-point margin, MN-01 voters disagree with Trump's tariffs. (Including 21% of Republicans and 56% of indepen… https://t.co/OyiWsyp3Yc— Aaron Booth (@Aaron Booth) 1540355365.0
Though the tariffs are well-documented, but common facts rarely stop this president from making statements that are outright false. Whether or not Americans will let this go unchecked is for voters to decide in November.