As President Trump announced a pause to his sweeping reciprocal tariffs Wednesday, his trade representative, Jamieson Greer, was in the middle of testifying at a House hearing on the administration’s trade policy.
Greer appeared to learn of the president’s decision to pause the tariffs for 90 days the same time the public did, as he was sitting before members of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade.
Asked when he was made aware of the pause by Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat from Nevada, Greer said, “Well, I understood the decision was made a few minutes ago. It’s something that’s been under discussion.”
“So did you know that this was under discussion and why did you not include that as part of your opening remarks?” Horsford asked.
Greer replied he doesn’t share the contents of his discussions with Mr. Trump.
Immediately after Mr. Trump announced the pause, the U.S. stock market surged. It had fallen significantly after the president’s initial announcement on the tariffs. A universal tariff of 10% remained in place for nearly every country, except China, which faces an even higher tariff of 125%. China raised its own tariffs against the U.S.
Horsford pressed Greer for details of the pause.
“I understand it’s 90 days. I haven’t spoken to the president since I’ve been in this hearing,” Greer said.
Horsford interrupted, “So the trade representative hasn’t spoken to the president of the United States about a global re-ordering of trade?”
“Yes I have, I’m just here in a hearing with you,” Greer interjected.
“And yet he announced it on a tweet? W.T.F.? Who’s in charge?” Horsford yelled.
“The president of the United States is in charge,” Greer said.
“And what do you know about those details?” Horsford asked. Before Greer could answer, he said, “It looks like your boss just pulled the rug out from under you.”
“There’s no strategy,” Horsford said. “You just found out. Three seconds ago. Sitting here. We saw you. If you came here knowing that you were going to be turned off, that these tariffs were going to be turned off, why didn’t you include that in your opening statement? Why didn’t you reference that as part of your testimony?”
Greer repeated he doesn’t disclose his conversations with the president.
“These were specific questions we asked you all along,” Horsford said. “What’s the strategy? These are real consequences for the American people and small businesses. … This is amateur hour and it needs to stop. What does this even mean for your negotiating strategy? How are you in charge of negotiation if the president is tweeting about this from wherever the hell he is?”
“The president was elected and he runs the trade policy and I advise him and execute his policy,” Greer said.
“Did you know that this was happening?” Horsford pressed.
“We had been discussing all kinds of options, Sir,” Greer said.
“There was no strategy. There was no plan,” Horsford said, adding that Mr. Trump “put our economy in disarray and near collapse.”
The Trump administration has argued the tariffs were a “negotiating strategy.”
Horsford asked Greer if this was market manipulation.
When Greer answered, “No,” Horsford, said “Why not? If it was a plan. If it was always the plan, how is this not market manipulation?”
“We’re trying to reset the global trade system,” Greer said.
“And what has that done? How have you achieved any of that? But to enact enormous harm on the American people?” Horsford said. “Tariffs are a tool. It can be used in the appropriate way to protect U.S. jobs and small businesses, but that’s not what this does, so if it’s not market manipulation, what is it? Who’s benefitting? What billionaire just got richer?”
Horsford then slammed Republicans for their budget plan and repeated to Greer, “Who’s in charge? Because it sure doesn’t look like it’s the trade representative. You just got the rug pulled out from under you.”
“I wish I could feel some empathy, but the empathy I have is for the American people whose very wellbeing and livelihoods are being effected. This is not a game. This is real life,” Horsford said before yielding his time.
