President Donald Trump engaged his Cabinet in a debate over his desire to impose tariffs on large exporters like China, clashing with the majority of his advisers, according to Axios.
According to "administration sources," Trump met with 24 of his Cabinet members, advisers, and members of his administration, including Vice President Mike Pence. Trump, Pence, and a small group of advisers expressed their intent to impose tariffs of around 20 percent on steel and other imports, including semiconductors, aluminum, paper and appliances.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that "Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with China," and is weighing trade actions against the country over its policy towards North Korea and its trade deals.
The move is driven by Trump's base of support, although many of his advisers warned that tariffs would affect more than just China and a number of allied nations, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Japan and Mexico.
Trump also was warned that the auto industry, along with other industries affected by the tariffs, would immediately seek a court injunction over any tariffs on steel.
This plan was reportedly laid out by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, trade policy director Peter Navarro, and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, with backing from chief strategist Steve Bannon, who did not attend the meeting.
While Pence and White House adviser Jared Kushner stayed quiet during the meeting, everyone else in the room disagreed with the idea, saying it was bad economics and bad politics.
However, Axios notes that despite the objections, "everyone left the room believing the country is headed toward a major trade confrontation."
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.