Semafor’s Everett: Border and Tariffs Are Two Issues Trump Doesn’t Vacillate On

RAJU Yeah and and ░░░░░░░░ one of those things ░░░░░░░░ conversation with the Mexican ░░░░░░░░ saying on Truth Social ░░░░░░░░ course that she had ░░░░░░░░ to effectively close our ░░░░░░░░ border That s not ░░░░░░░░ she said she agreed ░░░░░░░░ but just a reminder ░░░░░░░░ where things are on ░░░░░░░░ issue of border crossings ░░░░░░░░ border crossings They re ░░░░░░░░ down significantly since really ░░░░░░░░ the height of it ░░░░░░░░ late last year in ░░░░░░░░ all the way down ░░░░░░░░ now A lot of ░░░░░░░░ stemming from Biden s ░░░░░░░░ orders that that came ░░░░░░░░ a result of a ░░░░░░░░ of pressure and the ░░░░░░░░ to act in Congress ░░░░░░░░ this is classic Trump ░░░░░░░░ He s going to ░░░░░░░░ victory even if victory ░░░░░░░░ happened before he did ░░░░░░░░ about it Everett Not ░░░░░░░░ only that but these ░░░░░░░░ like the two if ░░░░░░░░ you could look at ░░░░░░░░ two signature issues for ░░░░░░░░ Trump he vacillates on ░░░░░░░░ lot of policy issues ░░░░░░░░ the border and tariffs ░░░░░░░░ not those issues and ░░░░░░░░ he s been consistent ░░░░░░░░ crosstalk RAJU He s ░░░░░░░░ saying it since 1990 ░░░░░░░░ 2000 and the like ░░░░░░░░ Right And and during ░░░░░░░░ first presidency we saw ░░░░░░░░ he would he would ░░░░░░░░ through on them not ░░░░░░░░ on other countries like ░░░░░░░░ but on allies in ░░░░░░░░ with the steel and ░░░░░░░░ tariffs So when he ░░░░░░░░ these things people have ░░░░░░░░ take him seriously now ░░░░░░░░ if members of his ░░░░░░░░ party want him to ░░░░░░░░ them as leverage RAJU ░░░░░░░░ Everett rather than follow ░░░░░░░░ on them RAJU I ░░░░░░░░ do you expect much ░░░░░░░░ from Republicans on the ░░░░░░░░ I mean this is ░░░░░░░░ to used to be ░░░░░░░░ party of free traders ░░░░░░░░ Yeah RAJU This is ░░░░░░░░ used to be the ░░░░░░░░ policy that pushed for ░░░░░░░░ trade policy Obviously much ░░░░░░░░ now But where when ░░░░░░░░ re talking to Republicans ░░░░░░░░ the Hill is there ░░░░░░░░ to be pushback on ░░░░░░░░ Everett I mean the ░░░░░░░░ has changed but it ░░░░░░░░ a party in transition ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate where ░░░░░░░░ and I spend a ░░░░░░░░ of our time These ░░░░░░░░ were around many of ░░░░░░░░ in Congress 20 years ░░░░░░░░ They they are still ░░░░░░░░ traders a lot of ░░░░░░░░ So there s a ░░░░░░░░ divide there And I ░░░░░░░░ at this point Trump ░░░░░░░░ not president yet It ░░░░░░░░ kind of unclear whether ░░░░░░░░ s going to follow ░░░░░░░░ on these tariffs right ░░░░░░░░ So what what Republicans ░░░░░░░░ going to say is ░░░░░░░░ he s just using ░░░░░░░░ for a negotiating position ░░░░░░░░ s just using this ░░░░░░░░ leverage to stem border ░░░░░░░░ stem fentanyl coming into ░░░░░░░░ country But we also ░░░░░░░░ he ll follow through ░░░░░░░░ that And I don ░░░░░░░░ think Republicans want him ░░░░░░░░ because that s probably ░░░░░░░░ biggest opening for Democrats ░░░░░░░░ is if Trump like ░░░░░░░░ was talking about his ░░░░░░░░ end up raising prices ░░░░░░░░ to wreck the economy ░░░░░░░░ Mm hmm Everett and ░░░░░░░░ like that That that ░░░░░░░░ what could turn the ░░░░░░░░ around for the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ a lot more than ░░░░░░░░ moments of introspection that ░░░░░░░░ re going through right ░░░░░░░░