Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer heaped praise on President Trump Thursday for proposing $60 billion in China-specific new tariffs.
“I don’t agree with President Trump on a whole lot, but today I want to give him a big pat on the back,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor. “He is doing the right thing when it comes to China.”
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“Unfortunately, previous presidents, Democrat and Republican, just stood by as China did what it did to us. President Trump is exactly right,” he continued. “I have called for such action for years and been disappointed by the inactions of both President Bush and Obama. I’m very pleased that this administration is taking strong action to get a better deal on China.”
Schumer had openly opposed Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum on the grounds that they didn’t penalize China specifically. (RELATED: Unexpected Result Of Trump’s Trade War – Bipartisanship)
“The president’s instincts to go after China are correct, but the policy he proposes doesn’t fit the bill,” he said in early March. “It’s not well-targeted. It’s not precise. And as a result, it could cause a mess of collateral damage that hurts America more than it helps.”
On Tuesday, the White House announced Trump’s plan to enact the new measures. (REPORT: Trump Preparing To Slap $60 Billion In New Tariffs On China)
The tariffs will be applied to more than 100 products the president argues were developed through Chinese theft of intellectual property and financial takeovers.