Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on Mexico to crack down on illegal immigration was a “mistake.”
Kennedy said, “I think it was a mistake. I am not saying we don’t have a crisis at the border, we clearly do. I am not saying it won’t work. President López Obrador already indicated he willing to talk. But I am worried about the long-term ramifications. We have a deal with Mexico on trade. It is called NAFTA. In fact, we just shook hands on a new deal. It is called NAFTA 2. When you give your word, you stick to it. And I really worry about us negotiating trade deals with other countries and whether those countries will wonder, well, if we make concessions and trade hard and we reach a deal, will America stick to it? Now, having said all of that, I don’t think the president is going to imposes these tariffs.”
He added, “My experience with the president is, he is a very small man. I wouldn’t call him risk-averse, he has been known to play with fire but not live hand grenades. And if he slaps a 25 percent tariff on Mexico, it is going to tank the American economy. And I think the president knows that and I don’t think he will do it.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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