President Donald Trump is "not playing around" and is "deadly serious about standing up for America," says former Trump Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta.
"And world leaders need to know this. And by imposing the tariffs first he made it clear that he's going to put America first. And you saw Colombia back down. You saw Panama back down. You saw Mexico back down. And now all of a sudden Canada is saying, 'Hey, we will secure our border,'" Acosta told Newsmax's "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" on Monday.
"These are reasonable requests. Secure your border. Let's stop illegal immigration. Let's stop fentanyl that's killing Americans. And let's talk about real trade on an even playing field and bring jobs back to America."
Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada as the United States' two largest trading partners took steps to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
The pauses provide a cool-down period after a tumultuous few days that put North America on the cusp of a trade war that risked crushing economic growth, causing prices to soar, and ending two of the United States' most critical partnerships.
On potential tariffs against China and Russia, Acosta told Newsmax: "China is obviously a larger economy, but at the end of the day, we have the largest market. They need our market. And we shouldn't be afraid to use our market power to defend our interests.
"They are our interests. President Trump understands that. And he will use American market power to defend America," he added.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.