Billionaire U.S. Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum spoke about President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariff agenda on CNN with Kaitlin Collins, who noted the results of a recent poll which revealed that the majority of Americans say Trump’s tariffs are “bad policy.” Burgum asserted that this view was short-sighted, and called Trump “fearless” in applying tariffs in the face of the blowback.
Collins asked Burgum, “Do you know of any trade agreements that they are actually close to closing, and not just top lines?”
Burgum said, “These folks are working around the clock and weekends to get trade deals. And I think you’re going to see from President Trump one trade deal after another announced. When you start walking through a hundred announcements with 100 different countries in every single one of those we end up with a better trade deal than what we have right now, I mean, how could anybody say that’s not a good deal for this country.”
Secretary Burgum: “When you start walking through 100 announcements with 100 different countries and every single one of those, we end up with a better trade deal than we have right now, how can anybody say that’s not a good deal for this country?" pic.twitter.com/t40M7wWOJ6
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 29, 2025
Collins replied to Burgum’s 100 deals figure, saying of Trump: “He’s arguing that he’s made 200 trade deals so far.” Burgum responded to the discrepancy by saying, “There’s all kinds of companies, countries, excuse me, that are showing up at the doorstep because they understand America is serious about leveling the trade issues.”
Host: Trump claimed he's made 200 deals. Are there actually any deals at this point?
— FactPost (@factpostnews) April 27, 2025
Bessent: He’s talking about sub-deals.
Host: But those aren’t actually deals.. pic.twitter.com/TS4UnUAYWl
While MAGA supporters on X doubt the poll results on tariffs as presented by CNN (“CNN polls are fake news, EVERYONE knows this by now”), many more commenters are asking Burgum to “name one [trade deal].”
As one replied: “Why can’t they name one country, the only country they kinda sorta named, China, said they’re lying.” China has denied that Trump and its leader, Xi Jinping, have been in contact.
Journalist Meghan McCarthy replied: “in Doug’s imagination, anything is possible” and reposted the Nate Silver quote below: “The people still defending the tariffs now are the equivalent of people who defended Biden running for re-election even after the debate. The best litmus tests I’ve ever seen for complete partisan hackery.”
The people still defending the tariffs now are the equivalent of people who defended Biden running for re-election even after the debate. The best litmus tests I've ever seen for complete partisan hackery. pic.twitter.com/duBeSuWITm
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) April 29, 2025
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