Trump Brushes Aside Tariff Criticism During Debate

Vice President Kamala Harris called the former president's idea of imposing tariffs on imports from all countries "the Trump sales tax" during the Sept. 10 presidential debate, saying it would increase the cost of everyday goods by 20%.

Trump said the tariffs on countries would mean those countries would "finally, after 75 years pay us back for all we've done for the world, and the tariff will be substantial in some cases."

He said the tariffs he imposed "took in billions and billions of dollars" from China, and said that the Biden administration didn't roll back Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods "because it was so much money they can't." He said that if Harris doesn't like the tariffs "they should have gone out and they should immediately cut the tariffs but those tariffs are out there 3.5 years now, under in their administration."

He disagreed with economists' estimates that a global 20% tariff and a 60% tariff on Chinese goods would cost middle class consumers $4,000 a year. "They're not going to have higher prices. Who's going to have higher prices is China, and all of the countries that have been ripping us off for years."

Harris acknowledged the Biden administration retained a number of Trump-era tariffs, but didn't explain why, instead pivoting to pointing out that, under Trump, the U.S.-China trade deficit was at a record high.