Maria Bartiromo Presses Trump Treasury Secretary on Tariffs [Video]

Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo pressed President Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary Scott Bessent for “clarity” on the administration’s shifting justifications for its trade war with partnering nations amid shifting justifications.

The Trump administration implemented a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, alongside a number of tariffs on Canada. The tariffs prompted retaliatory measures from Canada in response before Trump announced he would postpone the levies until April 2 for products exempt under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is in effect until that date.

The White House initially justified the measures as a strategy to reduce the trade deficit with Canada and Mexico while pressuring both countries to enhance border security efforts, particularly against illegal immigration and the trafficking of fentanyl analogues.

Bessent appeared to suggest to Bartiromo in a Tuesday interview on Mornings with Maria, ahead of the April 2 deadline, that food safety was another concern and reason behind some tariffs.

The …