Former Vice President Pence expressed concerns about the potential “price shock” and other impacts of President Trump’s recent tariff policies during an interview on CNN that aired on Monday.
“There are worries that the administration has acknowledged about possible price increases when the 90-day suspension was implemented…,” he said while speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, referring to the suspension of “mutual local” taxes on American trading partners that occurred last month.
Pence’s remarks come after Trump commented on rising prices for specific products due to his tariffs, such as a staggering 145% tariff on China. Trump suggested, “Maybe kids will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and those two dolls might cost a bit more than usual.”
The president’s tariff measures in the early months of his second term have unsettled global markets and strained relationships with traditional allies like the European Union and Canada, leading to economic instability.
Trump is set to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations.
Following his recent electoral victory, Carney noted that the U.S. president has “fundamentally changed” the global landscape in recent months, focusing on high tariffs and proposals that affect Canada’s alignment with the U.S.
“As I’ve been warning for some time, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” Carney stated in a victory speech in Ottawa last month. “These are not idle threats. President Trump aims to undermine us so that America can take control. That will never happen.”
“However, we must acknowledge that our world has undergone significant changes,” he added.
“In the president’s push for widespread tariffs on both allies and adversaries, the administration is effectively advancing policies that don’t specifically address countries that are misusing trade relations,” Pence said during his CNN interview with Collins.
Oka has requested comments from the White House.
