Trump is 'always up for a good negotiation,' White House says, as April 2 'Liberation Day' tariffs loom
President Donald Trump is "always up for a good negotiation," the White House said Tuesday as the administration is gearing up to announce April 2 "Liberation Day" tariffs.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the remark in response to a question about whether companies or countries could change the way they do business with the U.S. to avoid having tariffs imposed on them. Trump has said he will unveil a suite of new tariffs on Wednesday, which he has dubbed "Liberation Day."
"The president has been looking at the very unfair trade practices of the past. Certainly, the president is always up to take a phone call, always up for a good negotiation. But he is very much focused on fixing the wrongs of the past and showing that American workers have a fair shake," Leavitt told reporters.
She later said, "I can tell you there have been quite a few countries that have called the president and have called his team, in discussion about these tariffs."
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Leavitt was also asked by Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Peter Doocy if Trump has heard from any retirees in Florida "who are stressed about these wild swings in the stock market because of the tariff uncertainty, and they're sitting there on fixed income or living off a 401k, and they don't know how much money is going to be left?"
"Well, certainly they are legitimate concerns and the president takes those concerns very seriously. And he's addressing them every single day," she replied. "And tomorrow's announcement is to protect future generations of the senior citizens you mentioned. It's for their kids and their grandkids to ensure that there are jobs here in the United States of America for their children to live the American dream, just like they presumably did.
"And as for their worries about their 401k’s, their Social Security... this president is always going to protect it for our taxpaying senior citizens," she continued.
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Leavitt also declared that tomorrow will "go down as one of the most important days in modern American history."
"Too many foreign countries have their markets closed to our exports. This is fundamentally unfair. The lack of reciprocity contributes to our large and persistent annual trade deficit that's gutted our industries and hollowed out key workforces," she added.
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"But those days of America, beginning tomorrow, being ripped off are over," Leavitt said. "American workers and businesses will be put first under President Trump, just as he promised on the campaign trail."
FOX Business’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.