White House Advisor Snaps at Reporter Over Trump's Tariff Strategy

White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro couldn't hide his frustration on Tuesday during a tense exchange with a reporter probing President Donald Trump's evolving tariff strategy. The heated confrontation unfolded as Navarro addressed the media about a fresh announcement: Trump’s intention to increase tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to an eye-popping 50%.

However, that hike won't be happening anytime soon, thanks to Ontario Premier Doug Ford backing down from a proposed 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. This diplomatic retreat effectively neutralized Trump's tariff threat, at least for now.

Things got fiery when Navarro, visibly agitated, told a reporter to "stop that crap." The journalist, apparently from Sky News UK, pressed Navarro on the perceived unpredictability of Trump’s tariff policies. "But he does seem to be changing his mind all the time," the reporter noted. Navarro shot back with, "That’s a bunch of crap," doubling down on his irritation.

The exchange escalated as the reporter described Trump’s tariff approach as causing "havoc" in the stock markets. Navarro wasn’t having it, insisting, "It’s not causing havoc," while the journalist countered, "Well, it is; they are tumbling." The back-and-forth grew increasingly chaotic, with other reporters jumping in, prompting Navarro to demand they "stand back" and "be civil."

Navarro eventually redirected the conversation to another reporter after warning the crowd that he would walk away if the barrage of questions didn’t simmer down.

Meanwhile, the White House confirmed that Trump still plans to implement a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products starting at midnight on March 12. This decision will affect Canada as well as other trading partners, signaling that the administration’s aggressive tariff strategy is far from cooling off.