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GOP senator on Trump tariffs: ‘What’s the endgame here?’
thehill ^ | 04/13/25 3:04 PM ET | by Sarah Fortinsky

Posted on 04/13/2025 2:31:45 PM PDT by RandFan

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said on Sunday said he’s questioning President Trump’s “endgame” in his approach to tariffs, saying the ongoing “volatility” isn’t good for businesses.

“One thing I learned in the private sector is unpredictability can work pretty well in the negotiation, but the private sector — businesses want certainty. They want stability. They don’t like to see volatility,” Johnson said in an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday.”

“And, so, I’ve just been questioning exactly what’s the endgame here? What’s the strategy?” he continued.

Johnson called himself an “unabashed free trader” and touted what he sees as the benefits of global trade.

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; China; European Union; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: cheaplaborexpress; concerntroll; concerntrolling; deepstate; freetrade; gopestablishment; gopisdone; johnson; losing; newsnation; randpaulsucks; rino; rinos; ronjohnson; sarahfortinsky; tariffsaretaxes; tarifftariffs; tds; thehill; theshill; trollfan; trumptariffwars; uniparty; wisconsin
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Before you scold me Ron Johnson is a top 5 senator in my book and not one of the usual suspects or RINOs perhaps some folk should listen to him if not Rand ...
1 posted on 04/13/2025 2:31:45 PM PDT by RandFan
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To: RandFan

I believe it was Stephen Miller who said the goal is to rebuild our manufacturing capacity.


2 posted on 04/13/2025 2:35:24 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: RandFan

Why don’t you direct your questions to the President, Ron? If he’s willing to talk to Putin, Zelenskyy and Maher, there’s a fairly good chance he’ll talk to you. But, if you’d rather stab him in the back....


3 posted on 04/13/2025 2:36:07 PM PDT by Texas Eagle ("Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"- Donald J. Trump)
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To: packagingguy
the goal is to rebuild our manufacturing capacity.

And dropping trade barriers in foreign markets to American products.

-PJ

4 posted on 04/13/2025 2:38:17 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: All

Can’t keep kicking the can down the road forever


5 posted on 04/13/2025 2:39:48 PM PDT by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: RandFan

To destroy your quid pro quo with foreign enemies for self enrichment?

Just a guess.


6 posted on 04/13/2025 2:42:28 PM PDT by WeaslesRippedMyFlesh
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To: RandFan

I keep expecting names of countries that we have a new deal with to drop. Still waiting.


7 posted on 04/13/2025 2:43:28 PM PDT by Revel
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To: RandFan

Hey Ron,
You could try asking him instead of doing the Sunday talk shows.


8 posted on 04/13/2025 2:51:08 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: RandFan

Endgame? Hmmm.

Maybe it’s to bring our manufacturing base back to America.

Perhaps it’s to end our goods being de facto banned from foreign markets while foreign goods can flow freely into the U.S.

Maybe it is to end the out and out theft of intellectual property.

Maybe it is to keep a pledge the President made to the working class.

Maybe it is to, FINALLY, use the economic power of the U.S. for strategic advantage over countries like China.

The real question Senator Johnson is this. What is the endgame of those who desperately want to preserve the status quo, especially when that status quo is bankrupting America?


9 posted on 04/13/2025 2:52:14 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: RandFan

The end game is not difficult for Americans to figure out.

In 2021 we couldn’t make masks for ourselves, the auto industry was crippled, tech companies were held hostage, and shortages were the ‘new normal’

We need manufacturing back in the US to control our own future.


10 posted on 04/13/2025 2:53:36 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: All; RandFan

Making “deals” and negotiating with other countries to drop/reduce tariffs by both sides just leads to a continuation of cheap labor “free trade” which does not lead to manufacturing coming back to the USA. High tariffs must remain on if a return to higher amounts of American manufacturing is desired.


11 posted on 04/13/2025 2:59:49 PM PDT by Drago
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To: Zathras

It’s so much better to get approbation from an attractive host. Yet, without question, this is a stab in the back by an elitist..


12 posted on 04/13/2025 3:03:39 PM PDT by EliRoom8 ( -- )
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To: RandFan

He should know. It’s really common sense


13 posted on 04/13/2025 3:04:17 PM PDT by albie (U)
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To: escapefromboston

Yup. This is our last chance to detour from dependence on the rest of the world for many of our products and rebuild what we can of our industrial base.


14 posted on 04/13/2025 3:05:24 PM PDT by dowcaet
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To: RandFan

The end game is ending the predatory trade polices the entire world has been using against us for the last fifty years. Go to any city or town in America. The broken, rusting remains of the greatest industrial power the world had ever seen being revitalized and full of middle class American workers will be result of that endgame.

If you are middle class or a member of the working poor, nothing could be more important to your family than Trump ignoring the classes, including all of of our senators, who have financially gained from the misery of American working families for so long.


15 posted on 04/13/2025 3:05:29 PM PDT by hardspunned (Look for the“Putin Stooge” libel, news from Ukraine you’ve gradually grown to trust over 36 months)
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To: Revel

I’m sure Trump is worried about your perception


16 posted on 04/13/2025 3:05:37 PM PDT by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: RandFan

Ron, it’s simple. Getting the stones back from Thanos.


17 posted on 04/13/2025 3:06:57 PM PDT by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: RandFan

“”””Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said on Sunday said he’s questioning President Trump’s “endgame” “””


Senator Johnson should be doing more reading and less blathering.

The endgame for tariffs is to bring manufacturing back to the USA.

How many times does Trump have to say it to get dullard Senators to understand it?


18 posted on 04/13/2025 3:08:50 PM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter (,)
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To: RandFan

Would be interesting to know if Johnson has tried to talk to Trump about his thinking or did he just run to the media and become a useful idiot for them. If the latter, then it says a hell of a lot about him and I would not hold your same high opinion of him.


19 posted on 04/13/2025 3:09:03 PM PDT by falcon99 ( )
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To: RandFan

If senator Johnson does not understand the goal, He should consider resigning from the senate.


20 posted on 04/13/2025 3:10:33 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (I am in mid-80's and I am not gonna change my opinions.)
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