Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov clashed with Jeanine Pirro, co-host of “The Five,” on Tuesday for defending President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada.
Pirro — as part of a panel discussion — claimed that Trump is “protecting” American industries as she pressed that the U.S. needs to bring manufacturing back to the country in order to benefit American workers and preserve jobs.
“So stop with the tariffs, it’s the leverage that we need to protect ―” said Pirro, before Tarlov interjected: “He needs to stop the tariffs.”
“No, no, no. No. I’m glad he did what he did with Canada because they —” Pirro said.
“Because you have enough money to survive it,” said Tarlov of Pirro, again interrupting.
“That’s not the point,” Pirro responded.
Trump’s on-again, off-again plans for tariffs have sparked economic uncertainty in recent days as the president has ignited a trade war with America’s neighbors up north.
On Tuesday, the president took to his Truth Social platform to share his plans to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada.
Just hours later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would announce that Canada’s plans to drop a 25% surcharge on electricity to U.S. states were off, as were America’s plans for a larger tariff on aluminum and steel imports.
Elsewhere on “The Five,” Tarlov hit her co-host Jesse Watters with a quote from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called it “insulting” for an Associated Press reporter to test her “knowledge” on economics after she called tariffs a “tax cut” for Americans on Tuesday.
“I’ll test your knowledge on economics, Jesse. Are tariffs a tax on the American consumer?” Tarlov asked.
Watters went on to argue that tariffs on foreign products makes American workers richer, claiming that “every president” has done it to bring back domestic jobs.
“Did you know that Richard Nixon … began the pickup truck industry in this country because of a tariff on the Europeans? Did you know that Reagan slapped tariffs on Japan and ended up triggering a semiconductor renaissance in this country,” Watters said.
“Did anyone slap tariffs on Canada?” Tarlov asked.
“He is protecting American industries —” Pirro chimed in.
“From the Canadians?” Tarlov replied.