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President Trump has issued a scathing rebuke of the Biden administration, which reportedly plans to lift some tariffs on China imposed during the Trump administration.
Trump posted a statement on his Truth Social page in which the 45th president said, “Believe it or not, it is looking more and more like the United States is getting ready to remove tariffs on China.” Trump warned that removing Chinese tariffs would be a “terrible mistake.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Trump imposed tariffs ranging from 7.5% to 25% on Chinese imports worth roughly $370 billion over four rounds between July 2018 and September 2019.”
It is still unknown what tariffs Biden will lift, but according to the Wall Street Journal, Biden might announce his decision this week.
Trump claimed that “these tariffs have brought many billions of dollars to our country, and made affected businesses, such as steel viable again in the United States.”
He then asserted his belief that lifting tariffs on China would be “the greatest gift that China could ever receive,” and that “taking these tariffs off would be a clear signal that the United States is weak, ineffective, and doing BUSINESS AS USUAL.”
In 2016, Trump campaigned on a promise to impose tariffs on China. That campaign promise is credited by many with helping Trump to carry rust belt states that were crucial to his victory over Hillary Clinton.
This is not the first time Trump has accused Biden of weakness concerning China.
Last year, he warned that America “may very well end up in a war with China” due to Joe Biden’s “weak and corrupt leadership.”
Trump cited Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan exit as proof that China views Biden as weak. He said China “witnessed firsthand our television generals’ complete surrender to the Taliban with the loss of 13 great Warriors and the handing over of $85 billion of the best and most expensive Military equipment in the World—China and Russia are already reverse-engineering the equipment so they can build it for themselves.”
He has also previously warned that Biden family business deals—most notably involving Hunter Biden—compromise Biden’s ability to be tough on China.