Rep. Adam Smith: Trump’s ‘Ignorance’ of Impact of Empty Ports and Trade Slowdown Is ‘Remarkable’

CABRERA Congressman first how ░░░░░░░░ you measure success from ░░░░░░░░ trade talks between the ░░░░░░░░ S and China What ░░░░░░░░ to get done Smith ░░░░░░░░ I mean it s ░░░░░░░░ to say I mean ░░░░░░░░ s hard to measure ░░░░░░░░ because you have so ░░░░░░░░ different factors But the ░░░░░░░░ is I mean the ░░░░░░░░ of success Does our ░░░░░░░░ grow Do we add ░░░░░░░░ I think one important ░░░░░░░░ is how broad based ░░░░░░░░ that economic growth I ░░░░░░░░ economic growth is one ░░░░░░░░ but is the working ░░░░░░░░ benefiting from it Are ░░░░░░░░ adding manufacturing jobs Are ░░░░░░░░ creating greater economic opportunity ░░░░░░░░ people in this country ░░░░░░░░ right now we re ░░░░░░░░ What we re doing ░░░░░░░░ we re creating chaos ░░░░░░░░ the global market which ░░░░░░░░ damaging the economy and ░░░░░░░░ you damage the economy ░░░░░░░░ hurts the working class ░░░░░░░░ the poor more than ░░░░░░░░ because they have less ░░░░░░░░ to respond to that ░░░░░░░░ I mean President Trump ░░░░░░░░ as was described starting ░░░░░░░░ all out trade war ░░░░░░░░ hoping that at the ░░░░░░░░ of it we ll ░░░░░░░░ in a better place ░░░░░░░░ the only thing we ░░░░░░░░ for sure is in ░░░░░░░░ short term we are ░░░░░░░░ a worse place CABRERA ░░░░░░░░ about this framework for ░░░░░░░░ U S trade agreement ░░░░░░░░ the U K Does ░░░░░░░░ give you any confidence ░░░░░░░░ president will deliver on ░░░░░░░░ promise to make deals ░░░░░░░░ this trade war Smith ░░░░░░░░ not from what I ░░░░░░░░ seen thus far for ░░░░░░░░ reasons One he always ░░░░░░░░ things that don t ░░░░░░░░ exist There is no ░░░░░░░░ agreement with the U ░░░░░░░░ There is a framework ░░░░░░░░ sit down and start ░░░░░░░░ about it But I ░░░░░░░░ you know they gave ░░░░░░░░ president an excuse to ░░░░░░░░ off on some of ░░░░░░░░ tariffs against the U ░░░░░░░░ But for him to ░░░░░░░░ out and say hey ░░░░░░░░ got a deal is ░░░░░░░░ They don t They ░░░░░░░░ the opportunity to have ░░░░░░░░ conversation And by the ░░░░░░░░ we ve had the ░░░░░░░░ to have this conversation ░░░░░░░░ we started this massive ░░░░░░░░ war The U S ░░░░░░░░ all over the world ░░░░░░░░ always trying to negotiate ░░░░░░░░ trade relationships I ve ░░░░░░░░ with Rahm Emanuel who ░░░░░░░░ the ambassador to Japan ░░░░░░░░ negotiated several different adjustments ░░░░░░░░ our trade arrangement with ░░░░░░░░ which were mutually beneficial ░░░░░░░░ did that without starting ░░░░░░░░ massive trade war that ░░░░░░░░ the economy Look our ░░░░░░░░ on the West Coast ░░░░░░░░ pretty close to shutting ░░░░░░░░ Nothing is coming in ░░░░░░░░ China And the impact ░░░░░░░░ that is not truly ░░░░░░░░ to be felt except ░░░░░░░░ several weeks from now ░░░░░░░░ a couple months from ░░░░░░░░ And that impact is ░░░░░░░░ going to be good ░░░░░░░░ the U S economy ░░░░░░░░ Well the president was ░░░░░░░░ about the slowdown at ░░░░░░░░ ports Here s how ░░░░░░░░ responded Clip starts Trump ░░░░░░░░ means we lose less ░░░░░░░░ You know when I ░░░░░░░░ that that means we ░░░░░░░░ less money So when ░░░░░░░░ say it slowed down ░░░░░░░░ s a good thing ░░░░░░░░ a bad thing Clip ░░░░░░░░ CABRERA Respond to that ░░░░░░░░ I mean the ignorance ░░░░░░░░ that is remarkable I ░░░░░░░░ we are getting something ░░░░░░░░ that money We are ░░░░░░░░ goods goods that are ░░░░░░░░ know in many cases ░░░░░░░░ to our economy The ░░░░░░░░ is you know are ░░░░░░░░ goods worth what we ░░░░░░░░ paying for them For ░░░░░░░░ president to say well ░░░░░░░░ long as we re ░░░░░░░░ buying anything we are ░░░░░░░░ better off that s ░░░░░░░░ a remarkable statement It ░░░░░░░░ on what are you ░░░░░░░░ for the money that ░░░░░░░░ re spending So if ░░░░░░░░ views it as a ░░░░░░░░ when we are unable ░░░░░░░░ buy things I mean ░░░░░░░░ s just take aluminum ░░░░░░░░ steel for an example ░░░░░░░░ drywall which we buy ░░░░░░░░ lot from Mexico We ░░░░░░░░ those things and then ░░░░░░░░ manufacture and that s ░░░░░░░░ That s jobs and ░░░░░░░░ s also goods produced ░░░░░░░░ if we re not ░░░░░░░░ to buy those things ░░░░░░░░ re not able to ░░░░░░░░ our economy And also ░░░░░░░░ lot of the goods ░░░░░░░░ China the household items ░░░░░░░░ need those things you ░░░░░░░░ they re part of ░░░░░░░░ we live So I ░░░░░░░░ hope the president s ░░░░░░░░ have a more sophisticated ░░░░░░░░ of looking at trade ░░░░░░░░ the president seems to.”