Surrendering to China's cheating will destroy the United States' economy, as well as that of the world, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday after he was asked if President Donald Trump is "deceiving" people who will suffer as a result of the ongoing trade war and tariffs.
"The tariffs are a tool," the South Carolina Republican told Fox News' Neil Cavuto.
"These tariffs are designed to get China to buy more of our products. A $500 billion trade deficit means China is selling us $500 billion more than they got from us."
The tariffs are trying not only to level the playing field but to change business practices that are "way out of line with international norms," he said.
Meanwhile, the price of standing up to China is "a lot less than giving in to China," said Graham. "I don't see how you make China change their behavior until there's a consequence of what (they're) doing."
He admitted that even though the tariffs are generating revenue, over time the costs go to consumers.
"But here's what I do like," he said. "I like that President Trump unlike every other president is doing something about China's cheating."
Trump has designated China as a currency manipulator, when previous Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush would not, and enforcing rules to try to bring business back to the United States, said Graham.
He also addressed the effect of the tariffs on American farmers, saying that they will either pay some now or pay more later for China's actions.
"They're not outworking us, they're just cheating us out of market share," Graham said of China's government.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.