Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) was grilled by CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Tuesday after falsely claiming President Donald Trump’s tariffs were not in effect while minimizing the impact it had on the economy.
“The results of perceived and prospective tariffs have not gone into effect yet,” Meuser said. “But [there’s] regulations that have been reduced under this administration already ― the energy policy, the fact that we secured the border, the fact that fentanyl is no longer coming in.”
“Why are you saying tariffs are not in effect?” Keilar interrupted.
“Because we did a 90-day pause on them,” Meuser said.
Keilar quickly corrected the Republican, stating that the baseline tariffs on all imports are still at 10%. While Canada and Mexico, the two largest U.S. trading partners, still face a 25% tariff on all imports.
And let’s not forget Trump’s 145% tariff on China, which, as Keilar noted, is the United States’ “biggest trading partner.”
“That’s like the Big Kahuna right there,” Keilar said.
Meuser argued that the U.S. has not experienced any inflation as of yet.
But grocery prices, for example, have increased each month since Trump took office.
And according to Reuters, Trump’s first 100 days in office have created expectations of a semi-permanent state of uncertainty with the U.S. stock market.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that American businesses have been disrupted in the past three months, and the economy has already shrunk 0.3%.
“There are effects of tariffs. I know you’re saying there aren’t any, but there are,” Keilar clapped back.
“I’m going to grant you that,” Meuser said. “I’m not going to argue that point, that the tariffs triggered a sell off within the markets and certainly have sent a rattle through the economy.”
Meuser maintained that tariffs’ effects are “more perceived than real at this moment in time.”
Keilar ended the interview by reiterating her correction.
“I just don’t want to leave our viewers with the impression that they are not in effect. There is a pause on the so-called reciprocal tariffs, but they’re still at 10%, and China is still very, very, very high.”