Fox Host Challenges Donald Trump on Tariffs: ‘That’s Not Clarity’

Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo pressed President Donald Trump on his shifting tariff policies, which includes imposing, pausing, and announcing new tariffs multiple times, and inquired whether the business world would get certainty on the matter soon.

Why It Matters

Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly imposed and paused various tariffs, causing uncertainty for businesses that rely on manufacturing and supply chains in Mexico and Canada, as well as consumers.

Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, typically paid by the importing businesses, which can then pass costs onto consumers through higher prices. The importing business could be any American company that purchases goods from foreign suppliers and brings them into the country for resale, manufacturing, or distribution. Tariffs are often used to protect domestic industries by making foreign goods more expensive and encouraging consumers to buy locally.

The stock market dropped early Tuesday morning, as Trump implemented 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, along with a 10 percent increase in tariffs on Chinese goods. The three countries announced retaliatory measures in response, which have further impacted the volatile situation.

Trump announced a one-month pause on tariffs on Canada and Mexico products covered by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) free trade treaty on Thursday.

What To Know

In a Thursday exclusive interview, Bartiromo asked Trump about the state of ever-changing tariffs: “Can you give us a sense of whether or not we’re going to get clarity for the business community?”

Trump responded: “Well I think so, but you know the tariffs could go up as time goes by and they may go up and I don’t know if its predictability—” with Bartiromo jumping in to say, “So that’s not clarity.”

The president rebutted, “No I think that they say that; it sounds good to say. For years the big globalists have been ripping off the United States, they’ve been taking money from the United States. All we’re doing is getting some of it back,” echoing similar claims he made on the campaign trail last year.

Trump shares a warm relationship with Fox, often being praised by hosts and receiving favorable coverage by the outlet. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is a former co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.

The exchange came after Trump paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico products covered by the USMCA free trade treaty on Thursday. The treaty was originally brokered by Trump during his first administration. Around 62 percent of imports from Canada would likely still face the new tariffs because they are not USMCA-compliant, according to a White House official.

Earlier on Friday, however, Trump noted that a new 250 percent tariff on Canadian dairy products could start as early as today or early next week.

Economists have warned that these escalating trade disputes could lead to higher consumer prices and a potential slowdown in economic growth.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on February 21. Inset: Fox Business Network anchor Maria Bartiromo arrives at the White House on March 6 in Washington, D.C.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images

What People Are Saying

David Solomon, Goldman Sachs CEO, speaking at a conference in Australia, said: “I’m spending a lot of time talking to CEOs who are really trying to understand the consequence of some of this…I think we’re going to live with a slightly higher level of volatility.”

Gerard Lyons, chief economic strategist at Netwealth, previously told Newsweek: “It is hard to quantify fully the impact, but in qualitative terms the markets believe tariffs will raise prices. In turn, this, plus the resilience of the U.S. economy, has dampened expectations about U.S. policy rate cuts.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Thursday: “I can confirm that we will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future. We will not be backing down from our response tariffs until such a time as the unjustified American tariffs on Canadian goods are lifted.”

President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday: “The head of the United Autoworkers of America just stated that TARIFFS ARE NECESSARY to correct years of abuse of the USA by other countries and companies. We have lost 90,000 factories and plants since the beginning of NAFTA. HE IS 100% CORRECT!!!”