Horsford Skewers Trump Tariff Retreat: If You Have a Plan, How Is This Not Market Manipulation?
Lawmaker Confronts Trade Rep as President Retreats from Tariffs in Real Time
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) today confronted U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as President Trump paused his tariffs against China in the midst of Greer’s testimony to the Ways and Means Committee about those very tariffs.
“China increased their tariffs on the United States – Trump blinked.”
In response to Horford’s demand for details about the pause, Greer acknowledged that he had not spoken to the president since he had been testifying in the committee when the change was announced.
“So, the Trade Representative hasn’t spoken to the President of the United States about a global reordering of trade, and yet he announced it on a tweet? WTF! Who’s in charge?”
“It looks like your boss just pulled the rug out from under you and paused the tariffs – the taxes on the American people. There’s no strategy – you just found out, three seconds ago, sitting here, we saw you.”
A staffer shows USTR Jamieson Greer that President Trump had paused the tariffs he was testifying about
“If you came here knowing that these tariffs were going to be turned off, why didn’t you include that in your opening statement? Why didn’t you reference that as part of your testimony?”
“This is amateur hour, and it needs to stop. What does this even mean for your negotiating strategy? How are you in charge of negotiation if the president is tweeting about this from wherever the hell he is?
Greer’s testimony marked the first time a Trump Admiration official spoke on the record about trade policies that have proven disastrous to the U.S. economy and American alliances around the world. Horsford noted that another cabinet member, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, canceled coming to Capitol Hill to avoid talking about the market in turmoil.
“This in just days, because there was no strategy, there was no plan. The president chose to take actions that he didn’t even have the authority to take. He put our economy in disarray and near collapse. We have small businesses and Americans who are concerned about their wellbeing; peoples’ retirement…peoples’ 529 accounts went down because of this administration. We have people planning to send their kids to college this fall. We have people who are retiring whose benefits have declined.”
Responding to Horsford’s pointed question of whether this was market manipulation, Greer claimed it wasn’t.
“Why not? If it was a plan…If this was always a plan, how is this not market manipulation?
“Whose benefitting? What billionaire just got richer?”
“Meanwhile, the Speaker is rushing to the floor to pass a budget reconciliation to screw America by passing the biggest tax cut in history on the backs of the American people? WTF! Who’s in charge? Because it sure doesn’t look like it’s the Trade Representative. You just got the rug pulled out from under you.
“I wish I could feel some empathy – but the empathy I have is for the American people, whose very wellbeing and livelihoods are being affected. This is not a game. This is real life.”
Rep. Horsford’s full remarks are available here.
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