Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum will force the country into a "trade war" that it cannot win.
"[A] tariff is a tax, and typically Republicans, conservatives, have not been for more taxes. So, I'm against new tariffs. They're simply a tax on the consumer," Paul said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" after host Bill Hemmer asked about the tariffs Trump has proposed and subsequently defended.
Paul added that these tariffs are "the wrong thing to do. If you look at steel use in our country, there are 60 people purchasing steel for every person making steel in the country. So, there's a lot of people who purchase steel that are going to be hurt by this. My state alone exports $20 billion worth of products, including a lot of farm and agricultural products. And if there's a trade war, we stand to lose in a big way. And really, the United States will lose in a trade war."
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also voiced his concerns about the tariffs on Tuesday, telling The New York Times in a statement through a spokeswoman that his office is "extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan. The new tax reform law has boosted the economy and we certainly don't want to jeopardize those gains."
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