Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins repeatedly on Sunday sidestepped questions about whether President Trump's tariffs are "here to stay," as the president has suggested, or whether the United States is open to negotiating with other countries.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Rollins defended Trump’s tariff strategy broadly when CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked how long she expects “this tariff chaos is going to be going on? 30 days? 60 days? 90 days?”
Rollins said Trump's tariffs marked the beginning of a "new American order, the new American economic plan," which has only generated two days of economic data.
“So I think we'll see in short order a really positive outcome from this. We already have 50, five- zero, 50 countries that have come to the table over the last few days, over the last weeks, that are willing and desperate to talk to us. We are the economic engine of the world, and it's finally time that someone, President Trump, stood up for America,” she responded.
Tapper pressed again on whether the tariffs are truly open for negotiations. He quoted Trump, who said the tariffs are "here to stay," and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who said, "I don't think there's any chance that President Trump's going to back off his tariffs."
“So are these tariffs to be negotiated, or are these tariffs here to stay?” Tapper asked. “I'm still not getting a clear message on that.”
Rollins again did not address the question, instead saying that “this is a national security issue” about “reshoring thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of jobs” and “about strong and bold leadership.”
Tapper pressed once more.
“The question was, are these tariffs here to stay, as Howard Lutnick and President Trump seem to be suggesting, or is there going to be room for negotiation, as you seem to be suggesting?
Rollins said countries are now "burning" up the phones trying to get in touch with the president and Lutnick and said, "This is the ultimate deal maker who is a businessman at the head of our government."
She also noted that Trump spoke extensively about tariffs on the campaign trail and was elected to the White House to accomplish his agenda.
“Right now, we're two business days into this new American order, so I think we have a lot to be determined, but the President is resolute in his focus and his boldness, in his fearlessness and in his relentlessness to ensure that we're putting America first by using these tariffs — along with deregulation, cutting taxes, energy dominance, it's an entire package, but right now, obviously the tariffs are front and center.”
