'Knives out': CNN reports top Trump official becoming scapegoat for tariff-induced turmoil
The economic turmoil sparked by President Donald Trump's tariffs has left many administration officials looking for a scapegoat and CNN reports that many are settling on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to take the fall.
According to CNN's sources, Lutnick has angered administration officials by getting out ahead of Trump's trade policy announcements, even going so far as to contradict the president at times — even as he tries to serve as Trump's top economic cheerleader.
The reason for this, writes CNN, is that Lutnick actually wants Trump to ease up on some of his toughest trade war actions such as the massive tariffs he's slapped on goods from Canada and Mexico.
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“He’s got a bit of a curse,” one Wall Street executive said to CNN. “He’s got to be the guy out there advocating for Trump, even if he doesn’t own the policy design.”
CNN also reports that Lutnick's position in the administration is precarious due to his rivalry with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was appointed to the job that Lutnick initially coveted.
"Within the administration, there are still 'knives out' between Lutnick and Bessent, said one senior advisor," the network reports. "During the confirmation hearings, White House staff felt they needed to choose sides of who they would help prepare, Bessent or Lutnick, according to people familiar with the dynamic."