Lawrence O’Donnell: Trump ‘Is Publicly Begging President Xi to Call Him’

[Clip starts Reporter Have ░░░░░░░░ started with China Are ░░░░░░░░ going to play hardball ░░░░░░░░ them Are you going ░░░░░░░░ mention Covid Trump Well ░░░░░░░░ m not going to ░░░░░░░░ m not going to ░░░░░░░░ no I m not ░░░░░░░░ to mention Covid I ░░░░░░░░ not going to say ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ hardball with China I ░░░░░░░░ going to play hardball ░░░░░░░░ you President Xi No ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ very nice Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ DONNELL Oh he s ░░░░░░░░ going to blame them ░░░░░░░░ Covid Remember when he ░░░░░░░░ he was going to ░░░░░░░░ them for Covid like ░░░░░░░░ week make them pay ░░░░░░░░ Covid in whatever his ░░░░░░░░ trade deal with China ░░░░░░░░ be in his trade ░░░░░░░░ with China That s ░░░░░░░░ he said He brought ░░░░░░░░ up That s why ░░░░░░░░ was asked about it ░░░░░░░░ Are you going to ░░░░░░░░ them for Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ you re negotiating with ░░░░░░░░ And he said Oh ░░░░░░░░ no no That was ░░░░░░░░ cowardly lion roar you ░░░░░░░░ hearing That was the ░░░░░░░░ nonsense Now Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ publicly begging President Xi ░░░░░░░░ call him and President ░░░░░░░░ is not calling The ░░░░░░░░ of China is not ░░░░░░░░ up the phone He ░░░░░░░░ sending out a spokesperson ░░░░░░░░ say We ll fight ░░░░░░░░ the end No one ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration has ░░░░░░░░ We will fight to ░░░░░░░░ end Donald Trump wouldn ░░░░░░░░ dare say today We ░░░░░░░░ fight to the end ░░░░░░░░ Treasury secretary didn t ░░░░░░░░ say We ll fight ░░░░░░░░ the end His usually ░░░░░░░░ secretary of commerce Howard ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t dare say ░░░░░░░░ ll fight to the ░░░░░░░░ because they won t ░░░░░░░░ they ve already lost ░░░░░░░░ Trump s constant public ░░░░░░░░ around ignorantly about tariffs ░░░░░░░░ the White House these ░░░░░░░░ has become a much ░░░░░░░░ difficult rhetorical challenge for ░░░░░░░░ than the way he ░░░░░░░░ talked about tariffs during ░░░░░░░░ presidential campaign and lied ░░░░░░░░ his voters every single ░░░░░░░░ He constantly told his ░░░░░░░░ rallies that China would ░░░░░░░░ the Trump tariffs He ░░░░░░░░ told voters that not ░░░░░░░░ of them would ever ░░░░░░░░ a Trump tariff when ░░░░░░░░ fact all of them ░░░░░░░░ only them would pay ░░░░░░░░ Trump tariffs and China ░░░░░░░░ never and no foreign ░░░░░░░░ would ever pay a ░░░░░░░░ imposed by the United ░░░░░░░░ They never have they ░░░░░░░░ will because that is ░░░░░░░░ how tariffs work Donald ░░░░░░░░ never admitted that a ░░░░░░░░ tariff a tariff imposed ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ an increase on the ░░░░░░░░ of that product in ░░░░░░░░ United States and only ░░░░░░░░ the United States and ░░░░░░░░ only paid by buyers ░░░░░░░░ the United States But ░░░░░░░░ in his desperate tariff ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump finally admitted ░░░░░░░░ one line one little ░░░░░░░░ how tariffs actually work ░░░░░░░░ Trump said the words ░░░░░░░░ this was very little ░░░░░░░░ today by the news ░░░░░░░░ he said the words ░░░░░░░░ tariffs he said You ░░░░░░░░ that to the price ░░░░░░░░ a product Yeah That ░░░░░░░░ what I ve been ░░░░░░░░ about Donald Trump s ░░░░░░░░ since the first time ░░░░░░░░ ever used the word ░░░░░░░░ years ago And today ░░░░░░░░ Trump finally after years ░░░░░░░░ lying every single time ░░░░░░░░ talked about who pays ░░░░░░░░ tariff after years of ░░░░░░░░ about that he finally ░░░░░░░░ in a little noticed ░░░░░░░░ which those of you ░░░░░░░░ ve joined me in ░░░░░░░░ multi year crusade against ░░░░░░░░ tariffs here in this ░░░░░░░░ really deserve to hear.”