Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, discussed President Trump's use of a 50% tariff threat against the EU to speed up trade talks.
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00:00But if the stampede comes, I haven't been eating anymore.
00:02Two minutes.
00:03I understand.
00:03Okay.
00:04I wanted to ask about what the president and the posting of the EU tariffs on Friday,
00:09we were told that it kind of took some of the economic team off guard,
00:13but it ended up seeming to like it had the intended effect of having, you know,
00:18airflow of foreign players respond and saying that they're going to move now with urgency.
00:23Can you just share more of your thoughts on that?
00:24Right.
00:25Well, as I was just saying, God said you see that the negotiations with Europe
00:29are trying to find, you know, what they care about, what they really want,
00:40what possessions they want us to be, and what we really care about,
00:42what possessions we want them to be.
00:44And the problem with the EU is just that they have so many different countries
00:47that disagree about what's most important to them that they can't pick up their own minds.
00:52And so it's been very difficult to negotiate with them.
00:54And I think that because the president has such a strong personal relationship
00:57that it's appropriate that there would be just a little bit more time for the Europeans
01:01to work it out so we can get back to the table for the project.
01:04Does that make sense?
01:05It does.
01:05But did you guys know that he was going to be saying that regarding
01:08you're starting with 50% tear up on Friday, do you expect it?
01:10Do you expect it?
01:11But a bit of the other kind of big stuff, his mind, he's got a lot of stuff on his
01:14thing, so.
01:15But one question.
01:16Yeah.
01:17One question.
01:18Yeah.
01:19Yeah.
01:20Yeah.
01:21Yeah.
01:22Yeah.
01:23Well, yeah, there can be problems, but we need a lot more problems.
01:28So the progress was slower than in the future.
01:32Thank you so much, Mr. Hassett.
01:39Thank you so much, Mr. Hassett.