CNN’s Jake Tapper and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett tangled on Sunday over the tariff confusion, with Hassett saying he disagrees with the notion that Trump administration officials were sending contradictory messages.
Hassett joined CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, where he was asked about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer sending mixed messages about manufacturing jobs in the country and the exemptions on certain electronics.
“Five days ago, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told senators ‘the President has been clear with me and with others that he does not intend to have exclusions and exemptions’ to these tariffs,” Tapper began.
“But now we know about these carve outs for electronics imported to the U.S. that we talked about … smartphones, computers, chips.”
“It’s a contradictory message. I mean, I understand that you’re saying this was the plan, but … it seems like nobody told Lutnick and Greer,” he continued.
“No, no, I disagree with that,” Hassett replied.
Hassett argued that everyone understood “all along” that there would be certain electronic exemptions from the tariffs, including for semiconductor chips.
Hassett suggested that when someone is interviewed here and there and doesn’t have a long time to explain themselves, “like I have now,” they won’t articulate the whole picture.
Tapper interjected to note that Greer’s remarks were from a Senate testimony, not a media interview.
Hassett then defended Lutnick, calling him one of the best Commerce Secretaries he’s worked with.
Tapper pressed the economic adviser about what would be exempted and questioned if he could understand where there was confusion about the exemptions when the administration argued tariffs were to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.
Hassett pointed to the recent jobs report in the country, but Tapper noted that it came out before Trump’s “Liberation Day” with the tariff announcement.
“If you look at the latest jobs report, it was way, way above even what I expected,” Hassett said. “And so, what’s happening is that people are racing to create jobs and to make stuff here in the U.S. If they make it in the U.S., they’re not going to pay any tariff.”
