Kevin Hassett Doubles Down on Trump Tariffs, Says Dozens of Countries Are Asking to Negotiate

White House Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett is standing firm on the effectiveness of President Donald Trump's tariffs, asserting that they’re driving dozens of countries to the negotiating table and sparking a revival in U.S. manufacturing. Hassett shared these bold claims during an appearance on ABC News' "This Week."

According to Hassett, over 50 nations have expressed interest in negotiating new trade agreements with the Trump administration since the implementation of tariffs last week. While he did admit there might be "short-term pain" for consumers—let’s be real, price hikes are no picnic—he framed it as a necessary step for long-term economic stability.

Hassett highlighted an interesting point: he argued that the flood of cheap goods since China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2000 has done more harm than good. "If cheap goods were the answer...real incomes would have gone up over that time. Instead, they went down because wages fell harder than prices," Hassett explained. Translation? Bargain-bin prices may have fattened wallets at checkout, but they’ve been trimming job opportunities elsewhere.

In what sounds like a silver lining, Hassett revealed anecdotal reports of U.S. auto plants adding second shifts to keep up with demand. Sure, "anecdotal" isn’t exactly data-driven, but it’s still a glimmer of optimism for the industrial sector.

Then came the Russia question. Host George Stephanopoulos pressed Hassett to explain why Russia wasn’t facing additional tariffs. Hassett insisted the decision stemmed from ongoing negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. "Would you literally advise putting a whole bunch of new things on the table in the middle of a negotiation that affects so many American, Ukrainian, and Russian lives?" he shot back. While Stephanopoulos argued that negotiators do this "all the time," Hassett maintained that peace talks were the priority for President Trump at the moment.

One thing is certain: Hassett didn’t shy away from defending the administration’s strategies, even as tough questions came flying. Whether these tariffs will ultimately be a win for the U.S. economy—or just another costly experiment—remains to be seen.