'Have you ever paid a tariff?': When Trump press secretary had a heated back-and-forth with reporter

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had slammed a reporter's conduct after the two had a tense exchange over tariffs. Donald Trump unleashed a carpet bombing of the global trading system on April 2, which he declared as “Liberation Day”. But Trump has paused the tariff for 90 days for most of the countries- except China. Beijing now faces 145 percent tariff from Trump.

In a press briefing on March 11, a reporter argued with Leavitt about whether President Donald Trump's tariffs are tax hikes or tax cuts. The 27-year-old took the position that tariffs are 'a tax cut for the American people' and said the reporter's question was 'insulting' because according to her, he was 'trying to test' her knowledge in economics.

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Karoline Leavitt vs reporter on tariffs

Things got heated as the reporter questioned Karoline Leavitt’s 'economic knowledge' after she explained tariffs and sparks flew during the exchange. She said Trump's tariffs will 'bring in so much revenue' and 'so much wealth into our country' that the Republican party will be able to make good on its promise to pursue additional tax cuts.

"[Boak] clearly didn't understand that very simple idea," Leavitt said, before accusing one of the news agencies and rest of the mainstream media of chasing viral moments instead of asking 'tough questions with honest integrity.' Leavitt joined Maria Bartiromo on her Fox News show 'Sunday Morning Futures' when she doubled down on her fiery response, adding that the reporter 'clearly fails to see President Trump's long-term economic strategy.'


Her remarks come as the Associated Press was banned from 'pooled' Oval Office visits and Air Force One trips after the news wire service, the 180-year-old news outlet, refused to adopt Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

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'Have you ever paid a tariff?'

He had asked Leavitt about an upcoming Trump speech to the Business Roundtable on that day, where he would later say his tariffs are 'having a tremendously positive impact.'

"He's going there today as he's proposing tax hikes in the form of tariffs. And I'm curious he's not for why he's prioritizing that over the tax cuts," the reporter asked, echoing business criticism that has crept into the discourse amid market jitters.

"Not true - he's not doing that," Leavitt interrupted the question.

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"Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been ripping us off. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the President is a staunch advocate of tax cuts," Leavitt told him.

"I'm sorry. Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have,' the reporter tried to needle her. 'They don't get charged on foreign companies. They get charged on the importers."

Leavitt started off her response by talking policy. "Ultimately, when we have fair and balanced trade, which the American people have not seen in decades. As I said at the beginning, revenues will stay here, wages will go up, and our country will be made wealthy again," said Leavitt.