The Tariff Two-Step: Bessent on a Trade War 4/8/25

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls China’s tariff escalation a “big mistake,” adding that he expects the U.S. to be able to reach deals with its trading partners. On the other hand, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says while he supports President Donald Trump, he does not support tariffs, emphasizing that every trade relationship is mutually beneficial. Plus, Apple is reportedly planning to source more iPhones from India after Trump’s China tariffs, and Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke told employees that they’ll have to show their jobs can’t be done by artificial intelligence before asking for more headcount and resources.  Sec. Scott Bessent - 16:39Sen. Rand Paul - 34:52 In this episode: Scott Bessent, @SecScottBessentRand Paul, @SenRandPaulBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @cameroncostany Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.