DORAL, Fla. — House Speaker Mike Johnson openly cast doubt Monday on the possibility of President Trump slapping blanket tariffs on countries, despite his Feb. 1 deadline for Mexico and Canada to crack down on fentanyl or face 25% levies.
“I’m not going to predict the outcome of, first of all, which tariffs will be enacted and how it will affect prices,” Johnson (R-La.) told reporters at the House GOP issues conference at Trump National Doral Miami when asked about the potential impact on consumer prices.
“I think he’s going to be wise in how he does that,” the speaker added. “I don’t think you’ll see across-the-board tariffs in whole countries and whole industries. I don’t believe that will happen. I think he’s going to deal with the unfairness we see out of the world stage; China for example.”
Johnson, 52, went on to note that Trump will have a “measured approach” before acknowledging that raising rates on imports “clearly is going to be part of the policy agenda from the White House.”
The House speaker stressed that the party wants “free and fair trade,” but did not weigh in specifically on the president’s threat to two of America’s largest trading partners.
Shortly after his Nov. 5 election victory, Trump, 78, had given Canada and Mexico an ultimatum demanding that the US neighbors help crack down on the surge of fentanyl and illegal immigration from both nations.
Initially, the 47th president threatened to lodge a monster 25% tariff on all products imported from Canada and Mexico starting on his first day in office.
However, he later pushed that deadline back, telling reporters last week that “probably February 1 is the date we’re looking at.”
Last year, more than $700 billion worth of goods and services were exchanged between the US and Canada, according to data from the US Census Bureau. That same year, trade between the US and Mexico was worth $775 billion.
Trump has also threatened China with an additional 10% tariff if Beijing fails to rein in the export of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
Over the weekend, Trump demonstrated his resolve on tariffs when he threatened to impose up to 50% duties on Colombia — as well as other penalties such as visa sanctions — if Bogota refused to accept deported migrants.
Ultimately, Colombian President Gustavo Petro caved and offered to dispatch his presidential plane to collect the deportees.
“President Trump, I don’t even think has finished the front nine before he successfully forced the Colombian president to take back their illegal immigrants,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) boasted Monday about the ordeal.
“The days of America being walked all over are long gone.”
Johnson also praised Trump’s handling of the situation and declared Monday that “the Congress will have no daylight between us and the White House on that issue.”
After Trump had levied his initial threat against Canada and Mexico in November, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly jetted down to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the then-incoming president.
Trump commended Trudeau but did not indicate that he was satisfied and repeatedly needled Canada in a series of social media posts suggesting that it should become the 51st state.
“President Trump is a darn good negotiator. He’s shown it time and time again. I think that the issue here is very simple. If you’re an ally and you treat the United States like an ally — fairly — I think President Trump recognizes that,” Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) told The Post.
“But if you have been abusing the United States in trade issues or others, there’s going to be a reckoning. So it’s up to all these other countries to decide what their attitude is.”
A White House official indicated to The Post Monday that Trump planned to move ahead with the tariffs against the border nations.
“President Trump has been clear about his desire to end the fentanyl crisis, and it’s time for Mexico and Canada to join the fight as well,” this person said.
“President Trump has used tariffs as an effective negotiating tool to bring trade partners to the table, and he will do it again to prevent the senseless tragedies impacting our nation.”
