CBS’ Margaret Brennan requested Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick whether or not synthetic intelligence was concerned in designing President Donald Trump’s broad tariff insurance policies on Sunday.
The “Face the Nation” host confronted Lutnick on Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement, which noticed important tariff will increase throughout quite a few nations. This included a baseline tariff of 10% on all U.S. imports that started on Saturday.
The announcement brought on chaos for traders because the inventory market suffered a few of its worst losses for the reason that COVID pandemic in 2020.
TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT TELLS COUNTRIES NOT TO RETALIATE AFTER SWEEPING ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS
US President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs throughout an occasion within the Rose Backyard entitled “Make America Wealthy Again” on the White Home in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP through Getty Pictures)
Brennan linked the uncertainty out there to what she thought of “random” nations that have been focused, going as far as to ask if the administration used AI to put in writing its coverage.
“[W]hen we saw the president stand in the Rose Garden holding up that chart that you helped make, that wasn’t actually tariffs,” Brennan stated. “That was actually confusing to investors, because it was some kind of other formula, and the countries themselves seemed kind of random. Like, why are the Heard and McDonald Islands, which don’t export to the United States and are quite literally inhabited by penguins, why do they face a 10% tariff? Did you use AI to generate this?”
Lutnick laughed off the query till Brennan pressed him additional on including the Heard and McDonald Islands to the tariff checklist.
“What happens is, if you leave anything off the list, the countries that try to basically arbitrage America go through those countries to us,” Lutnick answered, utilizing China for example.
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick answered questions on Trump’s tariff plan. (Screenshot/CBS)
He added, “They just built through other countries, through America. And so, the President knows that, he’s tired of it, and he’s going to fix that.”
White Home Financial Council Director Kevin Hassett added on ABC Information’ “This Week” that since Trump’s announcement, over 50 nations have contacted the administration to barter new commerce agreements. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that there could also be short-term ache for customers as costs are anticipated to extend.
Extra tariffs are set to take impact on April 9.
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