President Donald Trump erupted at a reporter who challenged his second-term tariff moves, firing back, “I was fighting lunatics like you,” at a White House event.
The clash came after Trump signed sweeping executive actions invoking a rarely used 1977 law to impose wide-ranging reciprocal tariffs, including 10%–41% across over 70 nations.
His rebuttal referenced the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining that in his first term, tariffs were sidelined while the U.S. tackled the global health crisis.
Trump insisted that his administration had already collected "hundreds of billions" in tariffs from China, and blamed the press for underreporting the results.
The executive actions are framed as protective moves for U.S. national security and economic strength.The moment highlights his combative stance on trade and media relations.
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