Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Newsmax on Wednesday that he has does not "have a lot of confidence in [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau" for fulfilling President Donald Trump’s demands on border security.
On Monday, the Trump administration began its much anticipated tariffs on Canada and Mexico, citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to "combat the extraordinary threat to U.S. national security, including our public health posed by unchecked drug trafficking."
Industry experts have warned that the tariffs could result in inflation and retaliation against U.S. exporters. Kennedy said "the truth is we don’t know" what impact the tariffs will have.
"We haven't had a president in recent memory who feels this passionately about tariffs. The president imposed tariffs in his first term. They didn't cause inflation. These are a second set of tariffs. And they're different. Could they cause inflation? Sure. And if they do I think you'll see the president back off," Kennedy said during an appearance on "The Record with Greta Van Sustern."
Kennedy, who serves on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, said while he loves the people of Canada, he doesn’t think Trudeau is up to the task of securing the northern border.
"I don't have a lot of confidence in Mr. Trudeau. I wouldn't put him in charge of a ham sandwich. If I were Mr. Trudeau, I would take the fentanyl problem seriously. I would do more than he's been doing, and I would tighten up border security in terms of the impact of the tariffs," Kennedy added.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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