Exclusive: Trump vents in Oval Office, "I want tariffs. Bring me some tariffs!"
Source: Axios
This account — confirmed by sources with knowledge of the meeting and undisputed by the White House — hints at where Trump may be heading with his trade agenda. And it shows he believes some of his top economic advisors are resisting his agenda because they are "globalists."
The scene: The Oval Office, during Gen. Kelly's first week as Chief of Staff. Kelly convened a meeting to discuss the administration's plans to investigate China for stealing American intellectual property and technology. Kelly stood beside Trump, behind the Resolute desk. In front of the desk were U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, top economic adviser Gary Cohn, and Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Trump, addressing Kelly, said, "John, you haven't been in a trade discussion before, so I want to share with you my views. For the last six months, this same group of geniuses comes in here all the time and I tell them, 'Tariffs. I want tariffs.' And what do they do? They bring me IP. I can't put a tariff on IP." (Most in the room understood that the president can, in fact, use tariffs to combat Chinese IP theft.)
-snip-
"John, let me tell you why they didn't bring me any tariffs," he said. "I know there are some people in the room right now that are upset. I know there are some globalists in the room right now. And they don't want them, John, they don't want the tariffs. But I'm telling you, I want tariffs."
-snip-
Read more: https://www.axios.com/exclusive-trump-vents-in-oval-office-i-want-tariffs-bring-me-some-tariffs-2478121273.html
According to the article, Kelly kept tellig Trump, "I understand." (As if trying to soothe an angry toddler.)
Cohn was sitting there slumped and "clearly appalled."
Staff secretary Rob Porter was there, and suggested Trump sign a memo that would have Lighthizer investigate China -- possibly leading to tariffs -- and Trump's inane response was to say that he'd sign it but it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted tariffs.
Navarro pulled out a foam board chart at one point (Axios doesn't explain what it showed), but Trump refused to look at it, said he didn't know what it showed.
So the meeting was a tantrum by a demented man-child wanting tariffs. One who'd bought Bannon's crazy conspiracy theory about globalists.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Yeah, let's pass tariff legislation and call it Smoot-Hawley Act II !!! Then just wait for the depression! 
Many blame the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act as a major cause of the great depression.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot%E2%80%93Hawley_Tariff_Act
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