Sen. Ben Sasse criticized President Trump’s tariff announcement on Thursday, calling the possible $100 billion in tariffs on China “dumb.”
“Hopefully the President is just blowing off steam again but, if he’s even half-serious, this is nuts. China is guilty of many things, but the President has no actual plan to win right now,” Mr. Sasse, Nebraska Republican, said in a statement.
“He’s threatening to light American agriculture on fire. Let’s absolutely take on Chinese bad behavior, but with a plan that punishes them instead of us. This is the dumbest possible way to do this,” he added.
Mr. Trump made the announcement as China and the U.S. are in the midst of an ongoing trade dispute, which the president has made clear is not a trade war. He already imposed $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods as punishment for China’s unfair treatment of the U.S.
China responded similarly to U.S. goods in retaliation.
Mr. Sasse has long been a critic of Mr. Trump, but other senators have also expressed concerns about the administration’s decision on tariffs.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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