President Donald Trump’s trade war with China is a “threat to growth” for America’s economy, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said Sunday.
In an interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” Toomey said there’s no evidence yet the crippling tariffs are changing China’s behavior.
“We’re starting from a very strong economy right now, you know record low unemployment, accelerating wage gains,” he said. “We got a great economy, but I do think that the uncertainty caused by volatile tariff situation and this developing trade war could jeopardize that strength and that growth. …I think that’s a legitimate concern. The uncertainty we have and the tariffs I think they’re a threat to growth.”
Toomey said the effect so far has just been “retaliatory tariffs.”
“We haven’t seen a change in Chinese behavior,” he said. “It looked like some months ago we were close to a really significant deal the Chinese seemed to have walked away. So, I don’t think we’ll know until we actually have an agreement.”
President Donald Trump took issue with Toomey last week, saying "What does Pat Toomey want me to say? 'Let me put my hands up, China, continue to rip me off’ ” reported The Hill,
Saying he likes the senator, Trump went on to say tariffs are the only solution. Trump added, "And I'm doing other things also, by the way. But the primary thing is tariffs. It's having a devastating effect and they're coming to the table and we'll see whether or not they make a deal."
Toomey also said the president is serious about addressing stricter background checks to stem increasingly common mass shootings — the latest of which erupted in Odessa, Texas, on Saturday.
“The president is very interested, I remain very interested in measures that would make it harder for people who shouldn't have guns to get guns,” Toomey said. “And you know, we're going to take a very serious run at it.”
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