‘Not good, not nice’: At
Florida rally, Trump says
China has ‘targeted our farmers’
TAMPA -
President Trump on Tuesday issued a defiant defense of his trade policies, praising American farmers for weathering Chinese tariffs and telling a crowd at a rally for Republican candidates that “the days of plundering American jobs and American wealth — those days are over.”
Trump’s remarks at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall come one week after his administration announced that it is preparing a $12 billion emergency aid package for farmers who have been caught in his escalating trade war with China and other countries.
They also come as the White House is mulling over a plan to more than double its proposed tariffs on Chinese imports.
“China and others have targeted our farmers,” Trump said. “Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? ‘It’s okay. We can take it.’ ”
Trump argued that previous administrations had allowed the United States to “truly get ripped off, but we’re not going to let that happen.”
“I’m not like other politicians,” he said. “You’ve seen what happens. I’ve kept my promises.”
The new plan under consideration would mark a significant escalation in that tit-for-tat, imposing a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods, up from the 10 percent Trump proposed in June.
His trip on Tuesday — his second to the Tampa area since becoming president — included a workforce development event at Tampa Bay Technical High School, followed by the rally at the fairgrounds, to support the gubernatorial bid of Rep. Ron DeSantis.
He also pushed for stricter voter identification laws, a cause that is broadly popular among Trump’s conservative base. Trump told the audience in Florida that “if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card. You need ID.”
“We believe that only American citizens should vote in American elections, which is why the time has come for voter ID,” he said.