RUSH TRANSCRIPT With affordable ░░░░░░░░ Larry so Robert Lighthizer ░░░░░░░░ for Wall Street Journal ░░░░░░░░ quote China tariff cuts ░░░░░░░░ hurt the U S ░░░░░░░░ on Robert Lighthizer I ░░░░░░░░ t feel like rewarding ░░░░░░░░ on anything at all ░░░░░░░░ now We bring Robert ░░░░░░░░ former trade representative in ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration Robert I ░░░░░░░░ you have this completely ░░░░░░░░ Where is the battle ░░░░░░░░ What is the forecast ░░░░░░░░ the outcome Will they ░░░░░░░░ pulling back from tariffs ░░░░░░░░ I fear they will ░░░░░░░░ mean the Rationale which ░░░░░░░░ that these are somehow ░░░░░░░░ is ridiculous right It ░░░░░░░░ no sense at all ░░░░░░░░ we put them in ░░░░░░░░ inflation went down not ░░░░░░░░ And numbers don t ░░░░░░░░ any sense That is ░░░░░░░░ a Rationale So the ░░░░░░░░ question Larry is does ░░░░░░░░ administration understand that China ░░░░░░░░ an existential threat to ░░░░░░░░ United States And if ░░░░░░░░ do we need some ░░░░░░░░ of a strategic decoupling ░░░░░░░░ not total but strategic ░░░░░░░░ Raising the alarm on ░░░░░░░░ was one of the ░░░░░░░░ important things that President ░░░░░░░░ did in his administration ░░░░░░░░ changed the whole dialogue ░░░░░░░░ it And all this ░░░░░░░░ be will be a ░░░░░░░░ to the Chinese that ░░░░░░░░ can go back to ░░░░░░░░ the way it was ░░░░░░░░ Obama and bush and ░░░░░░░░ and take advantage of ░░░░░░░░ We re shipping 350 ░░░░░░░░ a year to them ░░░░░░░░ they re doing everything ░░░░░░░░ with unfair trade So ░░░░░░░░ would be a very ░░░░░░░░ bad signal The reality ░░░░░░░░ we probably need more ░░░░░░░░ not less tariffs Larry ░░░░░░░░ think both in economic ░░░░░░░░ trade terms Bob and ░░░░░░░░ national security terms I ░░░░░░░░ t want to make ░░░░░░░░ concessions to China What ░░░░░░░░ they done They re ░░░░░░░░ Russia in the Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ re buzzing Taiwan constantly ░░░░░░░░ probably figuring out ways ░░░░░░░░ invest I mean to ░░░░░░░░ to take over that ░░░░░░░░ an American ally Regarding ░░░░░░░░ your point in the ░░░░░░░░ ed piece I p ░░░░░░░░ is still around Forced ░░░░░░░░ transfers is still around ░░░░░░░░ would we make any ░░░░░░░░ What would do you ░░░░░░░░ the Chinese would give ░░░░░░░░ anything forfeit we lifted ░░░░░░░░ tariffs They will give ░░░░░░░░ absolutely nothing for us ░░░░░░░░ reason we put those ░░░░░░░░ in place is clearer ░░░░░░░░ worse today than it ░░░░░░░░ The pressure on the ░░░░░░░░ side Larry are from ░░░░░░░░ lobbyists who basically make ░░░░░░░░ money importing It is ░░░░░░░░ people that are on ░░░░░░░░ other side of the ░░░░░░░░ the people that are ░░░░░░░░ are making money out ░░░░░░░░ unfair trade theft of ░░░░░░░░ property and the like ░░░░░░░░ are the people that ░░░░░░░░ making that argument So ░░░░░░░░ is no justification for ░░░░░░░░ at all I know ░░░░░░░░ are people in the ░░░░░░░░ who agree with what ░░░░░░░░ just said and there ░░░░░░░░ people that don t ░░░░░░░░ we have to hope ░░░░░░░░ the sensible people prevail ░░░░░░░░ would be just a ░░░░░░░░ mistake to send that ░░░░░░░░ to China not only ░░░░░░░░ but the rest of ░░░░░░░░ world basically we re ░░░░░░░░ taking them seriously Larry ░░░░░░░░ mean I think it would