'Sit Back, Take It': Trump Treasury Secretary Warns Tariffed Countries Not To Retaliate

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Apr 2nd, 2025, 6:51 pm


Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned countries not to retaliate against tariffs imposed by the U.S. or their goods will get slapped with even higher tariffs when imported into the U.S.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced baseline tariffs of 10% on all imports, plus higher tariffs on goods from dozens of select nations, including 34% on imports from China, 46% on goods from Vietnam, and 20% tariffs on imports from the European Union. Meanwhile, the president left in place existing tariffs on Canada and Mexico in place.

Shortly afterward, Bessent joined Special Report on Fox News, which Bret Baier was hosting on the White House grounds. The host pointed to after-hours trading in the markets, which reacted bearishly to Trump’s announcement. “The president calls it ‘Liberation Day,'” Baier said. “We showed the markets before, but if you saw the post-market reaction, it was kind of down across the board. People are looking at their 401(k)s and they worry about it. What do you say to them tonight?”

“Bret, I say that what we are doing is we’re setting the stage for long-term economic growth, that we were on our way to a financial crisis. I used to teach a history of financial crises. And with gigantic government spending, it was unsustainable. You look back in 1998, you look back in ’07. Right before it looked great, everything collapsed.”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/sit-back-take-it-trump-treasury-secretary-warns-tariffed-countries-not-to-retaliate/

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Hedge fund manager promotes more discredited "supply side economics" nonsense. The markets were not "kind of down". They were (and still are with the futures), WAY down, as are the global markets (the Asian markets being the first to react during their normal trading hours - right now, the Nikkei is down almost 3% at post time).

Every GOP administration produces a recession that Democrats have to dig out of.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. That's what abusers say, "take it". We do not and should not respect abusers. . . . . nt

[Buddyzbuddy]

2. Remember those words, Bessent when we take DC back

and TAX your arse. Just sit back and take it.

[modrepub]

3. Democratic Clean Up

But will the dems actually have the guts to restructure taxes to balance the budget, ensure red areas don’t feed off of blue areas, dislodge corrupt SC justices from the court, fully prosecute all those who broke the law during this administration and truly dilute their power so it becomes harder for tyrants to repeat what the Heritage folks have done over the decades?

I have my doubts real change is ever going to come about from the current Democratc party’s establishment wing.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "But will the dems actually have the guts to restructure taxes to balance the budget"

You need a 60-vote "super majority" in the Senate in order to do something like that.

If you look historically over FDR's 4 terms (his last term being abruptly impacted by his death), he had periods where the Senate had large supporting numbers of Democrats (and those who affiliated with them), and IIRC, the cloture number was actually 67 (vs the current 60). He was able to get SS through with those types of numbers.

(each of the below being the tally at the end of the particular Congressional session)

73rd (1933 - 1935) - 60/35
74th (1935 - 1937) - 72/22
75th (1937 - 1939) - 74/18 (and as high as 76)
76th (1939 - 1941) - 68/25
77th (19431- 1943) - 64/30
78th (1943 - 1945) - 56/39

And this was also why the ACA managed to squeak through under Obama as we had 60 Democrats in the Senate (although lost one at the end of 2009 due to the death of Ted Kennedy and his replacement being a GOP loon, forcing them to finish off the ACA through reconciliation in 2010).

[Walleye]

4. A government by rapists

[Javaman]

6. yeah, that statement will certainly make them listen

[Best_man23]

7. I have a better idea for those countries

How about a 100% embargo of essential products coming to the US? Maybe when Iowa and Kansas MAGAts can't get potash fertilizer for their farms, they will rethink the wisdom of the Trump Absurd Recessionary Inflationary Financial Fuckups (Tariffs).

Even better, perhaps all these countries under tariff should immediately cease future purchases of US Treasuries and then dump the ones currently held on the open market?

[Ray Bruns]

8. When are people like Trump and Bessent going to learn that they aren't dealt with a painting contractor in New Jersey

But with sovereign nations who don’t really have to put up with their shit?

[malthaussen]

9. Reminds me of the pol who said women being raped should "lie back and enjoy it."

Didn't hear much about him afterward.

-- Mal

[cloudbase]

16. That was Clayton Williams,

candidate for Texas governor back in 1990.

[C_U_L8R]

10. When Democrats eventually regain control...

They're gonna be freakin heroes for undoing this massive Trump/GOP calamity. What a mess!!

[liberalgunwilltravel]

11. Why don't you bend over

While I shove this saguaro cactus up your ass, Scotty. You snivel nose piece of shit. I don’t see how any of this is resolved peacefully.

[wolfie001]

12. Bootlicker says what?

Today a bloodbath will ensue. Futures down 1200?

[Bengus81]

13. DOW futures down 1,154 points right now. Take THAT Scotty..........

[twodogsbarking]

14. Another Trump record.

[Scrivener7]

15. They actually think they have the power to tell people this. They're that deluded.

They think this is their incel revenge.

[Historic NY]

17. So says the bully.

[keroro gunsou]

25. so said the rapist

there, i fixed it for you.

[bronxiteforever]

18. But trillions of dollars of billionaire tax cuts

will make our economy healthy? Bessent is a fucking liar and like Lutnick wants all the pain going to those who are not billionaires. He and Lutnick are greedy, selfish, malevolent creeps.

[BlueKota]

19. Your last sentence

is the undeniable fact that sadly too many people refuse to acknowledge as 👍 true!

[thought crime]

40. Recession is a buying opportunity for the 1%

"Old time republicans" see a recession as a medicinal act that provides a buy opportunity for the rich. MAGA (i.e. Nazi) republicans just want to burn it all down in nihilistic rage.

[mdbl]

20. He's batshit crazy too.

The clown show continues.

[4catsmom]

21. This would be my signal

to hit back hard. How dare we act like we can tell other countries what to do.

[azureblue]

22. So said the paper tiger

This idiot has no ides how weak the US's position is. Felon Trump has pissed off about everybody but Putin, And the rest of the world is ganging up on the fat bully..
No one will bow to the Would be emperor.

[RobinA]

38. Sure, Unless They Fold

like a large law firm.

[Bengus81]

23. Wonder what those millionaires that own all those huge dealerships are thinking about now

No doubt all Trump voters but now have massive tariffs slapped on most of their cars. Get ready boys...going to be a ghost town at the car lot. Oh wait...Trump wants you to EAT those tariffs. ROFLOL!!

And...as usual the ones who feel the brunt of Trumps delusions are people who work there and consumers and never signed on for any of this shit.

[MayReasonRule]

24. Picard Says Make It So...

“When McKinley, most famously, put tariffs on in 1890, they lost 50% of their seats in the next election,” Rand Paul said. “When Smoot and Hawley put on their tariff in the early 1930s, we lost the House and the Senate for 60 years. So they’re not only bad economically, they’re bad politically.”

[travelingthrulife]

27. You aren't worth saving Rand. Your Party needs to die along with all its bad ideas.

[MayReasonRule]

34. I'm Wholeheartedly In Favor Of The Wholesale Dissolution Of The GOP

RICO the GOP at the state level.

[Baitball Blogger]

26. Mexico should be responding at 2PM today or tomorrow.

[UpInArms]

28. Clayton Williams: Victims of Rape Should "Relax and Enjoy It"

I always called him, Blatant Billions

Editing to add:

Todd Akin On Abortion: 'Legitimate Rape' Victims Have 'Ways To Try To Shut That Whole Thing Down'

[Irish_Dem]

29. Abusers are furious when victims fight back.

[twodogsbarking]

30. Sounds like rape.

[Johonny]

31. They might not have too

US brands might become so toxic no one wants to import them.

[Rebl2]

32. That's

laughable. Does that idiot think they aren’t going to retaliate.

[Martin68]

33. Blah, blah, blah. These guys are such amateurs. They don't have a clue.

[Bayard]

35. Financial crisis my ass!

trump inherited an economy that was in fine shape, and has worked steadily to destroy it.

[FakeNoose]

36. It's Americans that are being punished ... WE are paying the price!

Whatever BS the Chump administration says to other countries is meaningless. The tax/tariffs are being levied on us, not them. We only have one choice - don't buy anything. Nada. Zip.

Let the economy fall on its ass. It's the only way to be rid of Chump once and for all.

[kimbutgar]

37. The sane parts of the world have seen that America has been taken over by a mad man

And they will say a big FU and do retaliatory tariffs back also. The EU, South America, Canada, Australia and other sane countries will not impose tariffs on each other as large the US will be imposing.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

39. You bend over and take it Bessent