Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has concerns about President Trump's new tariffs, but he is not surprised by the move.
"This is something President Trump has believed for decades," Johnson told Morning Edition. "He is absolutely dedicated to it. I think it's a reasonably high risk. It's a very bold move. He will either reap the rewards or suffer the consequences"
Johnson's reaction came a day after President Trump announced a 10% minimum tax on all foreign goods coming into the U.S. and "reciprocal tariffs" for several countries, who will face substantially higher fees.
Though economists warn of tit-for-tat trading war and higher prices for U.S. consumers, Trump insists these tariffs will benefit U.S. manufacturers and level the global trading system, which he claims has been deeply unfair to the U.S.
The 10% minimum tariffs will go into effect on April 5, and the "reciprocal tariffs" will begin to be imposed on April 9, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the day of the president's announcement.
NPR's Michel Martin and Johnson discussed the impact of the new round of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
The following excerpt has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview Highlights
Michel Martin: You have called tariffs a double edged sword. Are you confident the sword is going to cut in the direction of the benefits and not the risks?
Ron Johnson: I have my concerns. We obviously have a problem in this country. We have offshored many vital manufacturing, whether it's pharmaceuticals, whether it's the high end semiconductors. There are all kinds of different things that we do need to manufacture here in the United States just for national security.
Trade is an incredibly complex issue. Hard to say exactly how this all ends. This is something President Trump has believed for decades. He is absolutely dedicated to it. I think it's a reasonably high risk. It's a very bold move. He will either reap the rewards or suffer the consequences.
Martin: President Trump ran on immigration and inflation. Those were kind of the primary drivers of his campaign. If this does raise costs, how do you explain that to people who voted for him? Because they thought he would lower their cost of living?
Johnson: Well, I think he's very aware of that. He also ran saying the tariff is the most beautiful word in the English language. This should not be unexpected. This is a core belief of his. And we're going to find out to what extent he's right and many people are wrong.
Martin: Are you hearing from your constituents? What are they saying to you and what are you saying to them?
Johnson: They're supportive of what President Trump's trying to accomplish, but yet they're concerned about the impact on their particular business. Everybody realizes this is a double edged sword. That's very true. Some people know they're going to be impacted more than others. Some people are going to benefit from it. So it's a real mixed bag.
The digital piece was edited by Treye Green.
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