CNBC reporter: Trump's tariffs moves 'absolutely insane'

CNBC reporter Steve Liesman blasted President Trump over his trade policies and broader economic strategy in the wake of a struggling stock market this week.
"I'm going to say this at the risk of my job, but what President Trump is doing is insane," Liesman, CNBC's senior economics reporter, said during a segment on the cable channel Tuesday. "And now he's saying he's putting 50 percent tariffs on Canada unless they agree to become the 51st state. That is insane. There's just no other way of describing it."
Trump's demand of Canada, Liesman added, "shows there are no bounds around President Trump from the first administration," where there were people around him that would "smooth over some of the edges."
The longtime financial news analyst said Trump's posture toward "the Constitution and the rule of law" could also be "bad for the attraction of capital."
"It seems as if this administration is doing everything it can to chase foreign capital away," he said.
Trump has this week said he "does not see" a recession coming and dismissed concerns about the sagging stock market. His allies and economic advisers have argued the current pain on Wall Street will eventually lead to long-term financial benefits for investors and American workers.
During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said business leaders, investors and American workers should "bet on President Trump."
Topics
-
CNBC Daily Open: The effect of Trump policies will sway Fed’s interest rate moves
U.S. President Donald Trump's policies to reshape the U.S. and its economy are so drastic that the Federal Reserve is taking note.CNBC - 2d -
Chinese authorities summon Walmart executives over Trump’s tariffs
Move comes after reports that retailer asked its suppliers to cut prices in response to US leviesFinancial Times - 34m -
Canada will level $20B in tariffs in response to Trump moves on steel, aluminum
Canada is expected to impose $20.7 billion in retaliatory tariffs after President Trump decided to enforce a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum, which went into effect Wednesday. ...The Hill - 5h -
Border czar on Columbia arrest: 'Absolutely we can' deport a legal immigrant
Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, said Monday that federal authorities “absolutely can” deport a legal immigrant after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Columbia ...The Hill - 2d -
House Republicans move to block vote on Trump’s tariffs
Politico - 1d -
AP reporter spars with White House over tariffs
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday clashed with a reporter with The Associated Press over President Trump’s use of tariffs after granting the outlet a rare question during a ...The Hill - 1d -
Ontario's Premier Doug Ford moving ahead with tariffs on the U.S.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford will start tariffs directed at the United States on Monday, unless President Trump's threat of a trade war with Canada comes to an end.CBS News - 4d -
White House reporter asks Irish PM why he 'let' Rosie O'Donnell move to his country
A reporter covering the Wednesday White House meeting between President Trump and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin asked the prime minister why he allowed American comedian Rosie O'Donnell to ...The Hill - 2h -
Trump’s Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Take Effect
President Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on metal imports. The move is expected to raise costs for U.S. manufacturers of cars, solar panels and other products, potentially slowing the economy.The New York Times - 10h -
CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. and Canada skirmish over tariffs, roiling markets
The White House engaged in a brief trade war with Canada on Tuesday over energy surcharges and steel tariffs. Cooler heads prevailed but markets weren't calmed.CNBC - 18h -
Trump continues tariff tumult amid economic uncertainty
President Trump told reporters there could be some economic disturbance amid tweaks to tariffs at the end of a tumultuous week in the markets. NBC News Correspondents Aaron Gilchrist, Brian Cheung ...NBC News - 4d -
Trump reacts to European Union slapping tariffs on U.S. goods
President Trump reacted to news of the European Union's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods set to take effect in April. CBS MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady reports.CBS News - 44m -
Morning Report — Trump stirs economic uncertainty
In today’s issue: President Trump marked 50 days in office Monday confronting a grim report card that raised new doubts about his tariff policy and his theory that chaos improves leadership ...The Hill - 1d -
President Trump Just Made a Bold Announcement About Tesla. Is It Brilliant or Insane?
President Trump is endorsing Tesla. Would you want that for your business?Inc. - 11h -
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says 'there’s going to be no recession in America'
Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick said that Americans should "absolutely not" brace for a recession as President Donald Trump plans to implement far-reaching tariffs.NBC News - 3d -
Trump denies reports of infighting between Cabinet, Elon Musk
President Trump is pushing back against reports of infighting between his Cabinet and Elon Musk. He also appears to be reversing course on tariffs again, with new threats against Canada.CBS News - 4d -
Trump addresses economy concerns amid shifting policy on tariffs
President Donald Trump addressed concerns around the economy after a volatile week on Wall Street. It comes as Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico only to change course and pause some ...NBC News - 4d -
Trump announces more tariffs on Canada's steel, aluminum as stocks continue stumbling
President Trump announced more tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum after Ontario announced a tax on electricity for the U.S. CBS Moneywatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady reports and CBS News' Fin ...CBS News - 1d -
CNBC Daily Open: U.S. markets slump as Trump dismisses economic fears
Aiming to boost the economy, U.S. President Donald Trump is firing off a salvo of policies and causing collateral damage within the country’s own borders.CNBC - 1d -
Boeing plane prices could increase by millions with tariffs, says AerCap CEO
AerCap CEO Aengus Kelly joined CNBC's "Squawk Box" to discuss how tariffs could impact Boeing production.CNBC - 6h -
Trump raises Canada tariffs to 50% after Ontario threatens electricity surcharge
President Donald Trump said he will double the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum imported from Canada after the province of Ontario announced surcharges on electricity going into New York, ...NBC News - 1d -
Ayo Edebiri ‘got insane death threats’ after Elon Musk shared fake report about Pirates of the Caribbean casting
The Bear actor called Musk a fascist and an idiot after his reaction to a post from a rightwing account that claimed she was replacing Johnny Depp . Ayo Edebiri, the actor best known for her ...The Guardian - 2h -
Are there benefits to Trump's tariffs?
America's largest primary aluminum producer, Century Aluminum, applauded Trump's reinstatement of a 25% tariff on aluminum imports.The Hill - 7h -
Trump administration moves to drop Idaho emergency abortion case with national implications
The Trump administration is dropping an emergency abortion case in Idaho in one of the administration’s first moves on the issue since President Donald Trump's second term beganABC News - Mar. 5 -
Dow falls almost 900 points as Trump declines to rule out possible recession
CNBC Senior Markets Correspondent Bob Pisani reports from the New York Stock Exchange on the market sell-off. NBC News Correspondents Kelly O’Donnell, Brian Cheung and Jay Gray discuss the fears ...NBC News - 1d -
Trump’s Policies Have Shaken a Once-Solid Economic Outlook
Economic forecasts have deteriorated in recent weeks, reflecting the upheaval from federal layoffs, tariff moves and immigration roundups.The New York Times - 2d -
Behind Trump's latest comments on a U.S. recession
President Trump seems confident that his tariffs will reap great rewards for the U.S., but he is not ruling out the possibility of a recession. CBS News' Weijia Jiang reports.CBS News - 1d -
Trump, Ontario ease tariff threats
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump nixes plans for tariffs on Canadian steel President Trump scrapped plans ...The Hill - 20h -
Ontario says it will slap a 25% surcharge on US-bound electricity
The move is in retaliation to Trump's tariff threats on Canada, and is expected to raise energy costs for 1.5 million US homes.BBC News - 2d -
Robinson wants Fulham stay amid reports of move
United States star Antonee Robinson has told ESPN he is ignoring speculation over his future and wants to play in European competitions with Fulham.ESPN - 1d -
Trump floats 250% tariff on dairy from Canada
Jerome Powell's remarks came as Trump threatened new tariffs on Canada.ABC News - 4d -
25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to U.S. take effect
President Trump's new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports have gone into effect after a second straight day of losses across all major U.S. stock markets. CBS News correspondent Natalie ...CBS News - 7h -
Morning Report — Senate takes up spending bill; Trump backs off on Canada tariffs
In today’s issue: Three days before a government funding deadline, the House on Tuesday narrowly passed a party-line stopgap funding bill that would mostly keep government funding at current ...The Hill - 9h -
Latest news on Trump's trade war with Canada, China
China and Canada have imposed retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. as part of the trade war surrounding President Trump's new policies. CBS News' Weijia Jiang reports.CBS News - 2d -
What are tariffs and why is Trump using them?
Tariffs are a central part of Trump's political vision, but economists fear they could spark a trade war.BBC News - 7h -
U.S. stocks plunge as Americans worry about a recession | Special Report
Stocks in the U.S. cratered as investors fret about a potential recession and the changing tariffs that have evolved into a trade war with several nations. President Trump declined to refute the ...CBS News - 1d -
Trump hosting leader of Ireland at White House with trade and Ukraine likely on the agenda
President Trump is hosting the taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, at the White House on Wednesday amid the European Union's pushback against U.S. tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. CBS ...CBS News - 4h -
Not every Trump move is authoritarian — focus on the real threats
Trump's administration has committed real violations of law and democratic norms, but policy disagreements and norm violations do not invalidate the entire administration.The Hill - 2d -
3/11: CBS Evening News Plus
Wall Street reacts to Trump's tariff flip-flopping with Canada; Reporter's Notebook: "Animal spirits" and the stock marketCBS News - 14h
More from The Hill
-
US and Russian spy chiefs speak amid Ukraine war talks
CIA director John Ratcliffe and Russian foreign intelligence (SVR) chief Sergei Naryshkin spoke over the phone on Tuesday amid recent peace agreement talks with Ukraine, endorsing a 30-day ...The Hill - 10m -
Democratic leaders amp up pressure on Senate colleagues to oppose GOP spending bill: ‘Stand with us’
The leading Democrats in the House are ramping up the pressure on Senate Democrats to oppose the GOP’s spending bill, warning that the proposal would slash crucial public services to vulnerable ...The Hill - 16m -
Nebraska lawmakers advance bill allowing parental notification for school library checkouts
Nebraska may soon require public schools to inform parents about the books their children check out from libraries if they want to monitor their reading materials, with a vote expected soon.The Hill - 21m -
Johnson weighs options after 'stubborn' Luna forces vote on 'unconstitutional' parental proxy voting
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is weighing his options after a bipartisan group led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) garnered enough support to force a floor vote on legislation to allow proxy ...The Hill - 24m -
NYC mayoral candidate confronts Trump border czar over ICE arrest of Columbia graduate
New York State Assembly member and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani confronted President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, in Albany on Wednesday over the recent arrest of Columbia University ...The Hill - 31m
More in Politics
-
US and Russian spy chiefs speak amid Ukraine war talks
CIA director John Ratcliffe and Russian foreign intelligence (SVR) chief Sergei Naryshkin spoke over the phone on Tuesday amid recent peace agreement talks with Ukraine, endorsing a 30-day ...The Hill - 10m -
Democratic leaders amp up pressure on Senate colleagues to oppose GOP spending bill: ‘Stand with us’
The leading Democrats in the House are ramping up the pressure on Senate Democrats to oppose the GOP’s spending bill, warning that the proposal would slash crucial public services to vulnerable ...The Hill - 16m -
Nebraska lawmakers advance bill allowing parental notification for school library checkouts
Nebraska may soon require public schools to inform parents about the books their children check out from libraries if they want to monitor their reading materials, with a vote expected soon.The Hill - 21m -
Johnson weighs options after 'stubborn' Luna forces vote on 'unconstitutional' parental proxy voting
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is weighing his options after a bipartisan group led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) garnered enough support to force a floor vote on legislation to allow proxy ...The Hill - 24m -
NYC mayoral candidate confronts Trump border czar over ICE arrest of Columbia graduate
New York State Assembly member and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani confronted President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, in Albany on Wednesday over the recent arrest of Columbia University ...The Hill - 31m