Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) dismissed concerns that President Donald Trump‘s tariffs could raise the price of goods in the United States, arguing that Trump is using his “backbone” to stand up to China.
Trump was pressed in an interview on Sunday about how his tariffs could affect toy imports. He said some children do not need “30 dolls” but instead have three or four.
In response, Mullin argued that Trump was actually saying that the U.S. needs to prioritize its workers again, and that the country is getting “ripped off” because it is no longer creating its own products.
“President Trump is the first one, first president we’ve had that has a backbone strong enough to stand up and say ‘we’ve got to right this wrong, start manufacturing goods here,’” Mullin claimed on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom. “China has got rich off of our country. We have spent trillions of dollars building China’s economy, 40% of all their goods they manufacture are sold back here in the United States, and they rip us off all the time.”
Mullin continued by arguing that China “has to have” access to the U.S. market, arguing “their economy is dependent on us” since almost half its goods are sold to the U.S. In comparison, “almost none” of the U.S. manufacturers sell goods in China.
China has exempted some U.S.-made goods from its 125% tariff, including semiconductors and chipmaking equipment. Trump has also announced a 100% tariff on all foreign-made movies.
LOW-COST PACKAGES TO START FEELING THE WEIGHT OF TRUMP TARIFFS
Beyond the tariffs, Mullin also addressed Trump’s plan to reopen the Alcatraz federal prison, which Trump said would be “a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.” The Oklahoma senator proposed keeping Rikers Island open while reopening Alcatraz to ensure the West and East coasts are “both covered,” adding that he is “all about” Trump’s plan.
The federal prison on Alcatraz Island housed well-known criminals such as Al Capone and George “Machine-Gun” Kelly during its operations, but it has been closed since 1963. The prison’s closure was attributed to the high costs of maintaining it.