Trump Remarks at Detroit Economic Club
"Basically, if a country, or any country, is charging us tariffs, very important, reciprocal. If they’re charging us tariffs for a certain product, or tariffs at all, if they’re charging us tariffs at all, which almost all of them do, then we will likewise charge them tariffs and we will quickly reciprocate….
I actually went to a politician, a senator, from the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you’ll figure out because he wasn’t able to run because I wouldn’t endorse him because I called him the anti-tariff person. I thought he was not a bright person, and he was one of the few that said no, no, we cannot charge tariffs….
I said, but they’re charging us 150%. So, can we charge them 100%? Sir, no, we can’t. Why? It’s not free trade. I said, really, not free trade? Well, what about them? No sir, it’s not free trade.
Can we charge them 50, they’re charging us 150? Can we charge them 50? He goes, no sir, it’s not free trade. I said, you’re either the dumbest human being I’ve ever met or you’re a crook, one or the other, and he’s no longer a senator, he decided not to run…."