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Charlie Kirk
Hey, everybody. On the Charlie Kirk Show, Donald Trump's favorite word. It's the T word. And we talk all about it. Tariff, tariff, tariff. Bernie Moreno also joins us. New senator from Ohio. Email US as always, freedomarlykirk.com and subscribe to our podcast. Become a member today. Members.charliekirk.com and most importantly, join us at America Fest, the event of the year. Amfest.com that is amfest.com amfest.com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.
Bernie Moreno
I want you to know we are.
Charlie Kirk
Lucky to have Charlie Kirk.
Howard Lutnick
Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.
Donald Trump
I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa.
Charlie Kirk
We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here.
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Charlie Kirk
We won. They lost. We are in the driver's seat. And what if I told you that the President elect, President Donald Trump is already doing more to change foreign policy for the better? Before even being sworn in, many times on the campaign trail, President Donald Trump would say, my favorite word in the dictionary, my favorite word right next to love is the T word, tariff. Now, why would Donald Trump make such a statement like that? Of course, in typical Donald Trump showman style, he was trying to make a point, but it was a very profound point. It's because as Donald Trump was sent out to exile by the regime to Mar a Lago to reflect on the last four years, to reflect on his first term of his presidency, President Donald Trump, I'm sure, came to the conclusion that one of the unrealized, unilateral powers of the executive that was given to him by Congress to be able to protect American interests and improve the country that he is tasked to govern is the tariff power. Now, mind you, there has been a bipartisan consensus in Washington, D.C. for the last 40 years that we must have unlimited and unfettered free trade, that the more piles of plastic that we import from foreign nations somehow that is making us wealthier. It doesn't matter that our factories are vanishing. Doesn't matter that our communities are being flooded with opioids. It doesn't matter that the muscular class is finding themselves without work. No, we must have piles of plastic. It's a good thing that we have garage sales of stuff that we've never even opened. It's a good thing. It's making us wealthier. And Trump said, well, no it's not actually. You can't just build an economy based on shorting stocks and real estate. You must make stuff. You cannot have a software dependent economy. You must also have a hardware economy. And Donald Trump is a believer in the personal, the tactile, the real, not the abstraction. If you can't touch it, feel it, see it, smell it, ship it, use it, he's not that interested in it. You see, Donald Trump is a resetting back to where how the economy should be configured. However, the over fixation on international free trade has de industrialized the American economy. You drive nonstop from West Virginia to South Dakota. You will see if you're not on the expressway, by the way, barren town after barren town that were once great pinnacles of American industry where people found value, where towns were robust. Now they are ghost towns. So what exactly happened? Well, the unions probably overreached a little bit. We must be honest about that, that the unions asked for a little bit too much. And management of these companies started to get reached out to by consulting groups such as McKinsey. McKinsey would come down to Athens, Ohio, they'd come down to Mahonig County, Ohio and they present on a whiteboard a very compelling vision. Let's say that you make dishwashers or dryers or refrigerators in Mahoning County, Ohio. And the McKinsey types, who all were educated at the very same managerial business schools in Harvard, Princeton, Yale, but especially Yale and Penn especially would go on the whiteboard and they'd say, listen, we can maximize your profits and you guys can get rid of your union headache, but here's what it's going to require. We phase out the factory in Athens, Ohio and we send that factory to Wuhan, China and you can get your widgets for your refrigerator for $0.05 instead of $2 that you can have very, very low labor and then you bring them, you bring the products back to America and you can expand your profits and everybody is happier. Now the management of these companies were really reluctant to do this because it is simply and nakedly putting profits above patriotism. There Is no other way to describe it, There is no other way to put it. But all of a sudden we had elected leaders. Ronald Reagan was guilty of this. H.W. bush was absolutely guilty that would praise this idea of a new bilateral free trade rules based international order. We saw NAFTA be drafted. We saw the normalization of this idea that I was going to be raised in a country and everything said Made in China. Made in China. Made in China. We are propagandized to believe that we are actually getting wealthier through this stuff. And it is a byproduct of Austrian economics. Again, there's a lot of good parts of Austrian economics, but it is far too obsessed with distant abstractions while your own nation becomes poorer, sicker, diseased, without work. And the intentions here, well, let's maximize the bottom line. And all those guys in Athens, Ohio, they can go get jobs in the technological economy. Well, it turns out that was a bad deal for the country. It turns out looking back, we got piles of garbage that we do not use, limitless amounts of cheap stuff that we do not value. We have more textiles than we know what to do with. But are we actually a wealthier country? Yes, our GDP might be more, but are we substantially in a better advantage geopolitically, economically than before these trashy ideas? Nations are fundamentally a group of people, not a collection of gdp. GDP is one of hundreds of metrics that you can use to try and measure whether or not a country is doing better. But the most fundamental question is, are the people better? And no, because of the deindustrialist trade policies brought forward by McKinsey and the bipartisan groups of Democrats and Republicans. Or should I say demicans and republicats because you can't even tell the difference sometimes. We have seen the hollowing out of America. No one dared to question this except Ross Perot, who was obviously unsuccessful. He said that sucking noise is Mexico taking all of our jobs. Until Donald Trump came onto the scene, which of course is why he has flipped the entire map and why he has now turned Ohio into a deep red state, Iowa into a deep red state, and one Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania twice. Because Donald Trump saw the problem, diagnosed it and was willing to do something about it. Now there is almost no, there is no topic similar to tariffs that will get the clamoring and the anxiety of the corporate class. There's nothing similar to this. And Donald Trump announced last night something so profound, it's not just profound on an economic basis because it is necessary for us to protect our industry and to be able to rebuild the muscular class. But it's also geopolitical because this involves putting China in check. This involves stopping the hordes of criminal aliens that are coming into our country. You see, Donald Trump loves the T word for a reason, tariff. Because as he was reflecting on those four years of exile, I'm sure he grew and grew in appreciation. Wow. When I was president, my greatest wins were when I was able to use the other greatest word. Because tariffs underneath tariff is another beautiful word when you are trying to negotiate leverage. Donald Trump understands the art of a deal better than anybody else. And so when you have unilateral tariff authority, especially when you are the incumbent economic power, especially when you are still the wealthiest country, especially when you call all the shots, especially when you are the global reserve currency, that especially is a unique opportunity for you to be able to use tariffs as a wealth creator. However, the bipartisan groups in D.C. say, oh no, no, no, no. Because they're all funded by these corporations that keep want to make their widgets in China and not make them in Cleveland, Tennessee. So Donald Trump sent out a historic series of social media posts last night. Any goods from China will be subject to a 10% tariff. Mexico and Canada 25% tariff on all goods until the illegal immigration on the northern border and the southern border will be completed, will be finished and will be handled. Then this is before Trump gets into office. The brilliance of doing it before he goes into office gives them time to get the house into order so he will inherit a better circumstance. Hey everybody, Charlie Kirk here. Legacy Box is amazing. It's a simple and safe way to digitize your treasured videotapes, film reels and photos. They've helped over a million families do just that. I love Legacy Box. I've used it many, many times. Our family loves it and you guys have got to check it out. Everything is done by hand right here in America. Convert your media to digital copies that will always be protected from floods, mold, or even the decay of time. After 10 years in business, Legacy Box, the world's largest digitizer. They've helped over 1 million families relive their favorite memories. Think of all the Christmas mornings you recorded. Relive those with family this holiday season on the big screen with LegacyBox. Legacybox.com Kirk LegacyBox's best sale of the year won't last long. And visit legacybox.comkirk for an unbox. Unreal 65% off during Legacy Box's Cyber Week event. With limited quantities ready to ship. And this deal will Go fast. Shop Legacy Box's lowest price of the year now@legacybox.com Kirk buy your legacy box today. Send in when you're ready. That is legacybox.com Kirk legacybox.com Kirk I could do a whole hour on tariffs so President Trump says everyone is aware Thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before. Right now, a caravan is coming from Mexico composed of thousands of people seems to be unstoppable in its quest to come through our currently open border. On January 20, as one of my many first executive orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States and its ridiculous open borders. This tariff will remain in effect until such a time as drugs, in particular fentanyl and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country. Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power until such a time they do so. I love when he ends these. I love this last sentence because it's just so passive aggressive. It's time for them to pay a very big price. The next one has the passive aggressive one, then China. I've had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular fentanyl, being sent into the United States, but to no avail. Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this, but unfortunately they never followed through. And drugs are pouring into our country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before. Until such time as they stop, we'll be charging China an additional 10% tariff above any additional tariffs on all their many products coming into the United States of America. I love this last sentence. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Let's take one at a time. First, Mexico, Canada, 25% tariff. That's a lot. What is Trump doing here? Like I have no inside information. This is completely on the outside. I've not been involved in any of these meetings, any of these conversations. This is completely just gut instinct of what I think he's doing. He's giving Mexico and Canada a 58 to 60 day heads up, however many days we have left. If you don't fix this, pain and suffering will ensue. So he is going to inherit a much better circumstance for mass deportations, breaking up caravans. The point isn't literally to impose a 25% tariff. It's to make that our current crisis is now their Crisis, too, by the way, Mexico is saying, well, we'll impose tariffs as well. Yeah, good luck, Mexico. You think that all of a sudden Mexican tariffs against America are going to be like this big retaliation? We are the incumbent power. They need us so badly. They need us so badly that they will do whatever it takes to conform to our demands. We have been getting taken advantage of endlessly. America under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris has been a nation for looting. We are the dumping ground of the planet. And Donald Trump is resisting all the calls that he's getting. And I could say that I know this to be certain of people that are lobbying against tariffs. Well, Mr. President, be very careful. Boom. He just comes out of the gate. This is such a theme from the first Trump administration. It's like when he was the first president ever to think that America should consider its interest. Do you remember when President Trump sent out that tweet in his first term? I believe it was June of 2019, if I'm not mistaken. My memory serves me correctly when he says there'll be a 5% tariff on Mexico, and Mexico immediately conformed to his demands. He is using the tariff threat as leverage against countries that have been taking advantage of us. Joe Biden would never do this because he doesn't think America is the great country. He thinks that we are at equity with Mexico and Canada. Who are we to tell them what to do? We have to be partners. No. We are the incumbent power. We are the greatest nation ever to exist in the history of the world. We call the shots. We pay for all your aid. We pay to protect you. We have aircraft carriers in your bays. We're in charge. Get behind us now. The China thing is much more complex. Actually, the China thing is a whole show for a different time. That is a separate issue. And China actually has been more willing now to get to the table. According to public reports, then, Mexico is really losing their mind over this because the Mexican drug cartels are going to become very, very bloody and really unhinged because they're about to lose billions of dollars. Justin Trudeau, however, calls Donald Trump just two hours after President Elect Trump threatens devastating sanctions against Canada. So Trudeau hears this news. He has a crisis meeting. Get Trump on the phone. Well, Mr. President, we're doing a lot, and I don't know what that phone call consisted of, but I can almost guarantee you President Trump was like, well, if you don't fix this from the northern border and Mexico isn't fixed on the southern border, good luck getting Canadian lumber which is a huge industry, by the way. Their industry is highly, highly dependent on lumber into the United States. Our State Department is currently full of people who think their job is to favor other countries over our own. This is the of all the things that Trump has done in the last three weeks, it's been three weeks since victory, everybody. This is by far one of the most encouraging developments because he has resisted all the noise of the corporate class and he says, no, I promised I would do this. And he's using it as a brilliant negotiation tactic. He is going to inherit, not a border crisis. He's going to inherit a very calm border because of this, because Mexico is going to be freaked out the first day. He's going to wreck the Mexican economy. This is what America first looks like in practice, everybody. No institution works harder to give young people the best education in America than my favorite college, Hillsdale College. For 180 years now, Hillsdale's mission has been to develop the minds and improve the hearts of its students. And Today, in just 30 seconds, you can learn what that means by watching a short video@charlieforhillsdale.com Since 1844, Hillsdale is focused on learning character and faith in providing just the kind of education needed to preserve liberty. And they extend their mission nationwide through outreach efforts like their free Digest of Liberty and Primus. Too many colleges and universities today indoctrinate their students to hate America. At Hillsdale, students learn how America became the freest and most prosperous nation in history. And at a time when so many college campuses are rent with division, Hillsdale students sign an honor code promising to respect the rights of others and rise to self government. Take some time to learn more about what makes Hillsdale college unique@charlieforhillsdale.com America's greatest college. I love Hillsdale. Go to charlie4hillsdale.com joining us now is Senator Elect so excited to say this, Bernie Moreno. Bernie, we've been in your corner this entire time, this entire journey, and super thrilled to see you get across the finish line. Congratulations, Bernie.
Bernie Moreno
Well, thank you. And I couldn't have done it without you. You're a big supporter not only in the general election, but in the primary as well. You had people all over Ohio knocking on doors, making phone calls, Turning point action did a great job and truly appreciate all the support not only from you, but all the warriors that you have all over the state.
Charlie Kirk
Well, thank you, Bernie, and we are just beyond thrilled and we know you're going to do a wonderful job. So before we get into the news, of the day. I do think it's important. Why don't you tell us kind of a recap of the election? It was one of the most expensive Senate races of this cycle, if not the most, and certainly one of the most expensive ever in the history of the country. How were you able to beat a very crafty incumbent Democrat senator from the great state of Ohio?
Bernie Moreno
Yeah. So this was the most expensive non presidential political campaign in American history. Almost 500 plus million dollars. It's obscene amounts of money. Most of it was negative ads. Look, what Sherrod Brown tried to do is try to fool the people of Ohio into believing that he was a moderate, that he was bipartisan. And Charlie, he actually tried to make people believe that he was pro Trump. Now, what we did is we exposed him for the fraud that he is. He hasn't even called to concede, by the way, the election since election day three weeks ago. And he just. Personal attack after personal attack against me. Lie after lie. We just told the truth. Look, this guy's voting record, he was for trans athletes. He's for men going into women's locker rooms for giving gender care to children. These are the things that he fought on. It just didn't work.
Charlie Kirk
Yeah. And you ran a great, disciplined campaign. Can I just repeat that for the audience? Did you say a $500 million, is that right?
Bernie Moreno
Over $500 million, yeah. We broke a record here at Ohio, Charlie. The most expensive non presidential race in American history.
Charlie Kirk
Well, and then. So I just. I wanted to just stay on this for one second. How does one even spend $500 million? I mean, every advertisement during a Browns or a Bengals game must have been against Bernie or against Sherrod Brown. Is that, Is that a fair summation?
Bernie Moreno
Yeah, pretty much. We ruined live sports. We ruined Jeopardy. YouTube Pre roll was brutal. People are so happy to see car commercials again. Let me just say that.
Charlie Kirk
No, I just. And by the way, that shows how great of a candidate you are, Bernie, and also the power of the Trump movement. Truly. So we're just, we're thrilled for you. So I want to now get into this tariff story. If there is a state that is exhibit A of the failure of 30 years of deindustrialization, it would be Ohio. And one of the reasons why you were so successful is that Sherrod Brown talked a lot about deindustrialization, but he never actually did anything about it. Your comment on President Trump last evening fulfilling a campaign mandate, saying that he will protect American industry and protect the great people of Ohio's. Jobs in Athens, Ohio, or in Columbus, Ohio, in the communities that make America so great. Your comments, Bernie Moreno.
Bernie Moreno
No, you're exactly right, Charlie. Look, in 1949, six of the wealthiest 14 cities in America were in Ohio. We were the rubber capital in Akron. We were the steel capital in Youngstown. We were the glass capital in Toledo. We're the computing capital in Downton, Dayton. What we've seen is not just the last 30 or 40 years of Democrats, but also Republicans that voted to send our industries overseas, guided our middle class, destroyed these communities. And while Sherrod Brown talked about it, under his watch alone, we lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs. And what President Trump did yesterday was absolutely unbelievable. He laid down the gauntlet. We've already taken a quarter of our auto industry and shipped it to Canada and Mexico. That is devastating for places like Ohio and Michigan and other states here in the Midwest. We're not going to put up with that anymore. And if they're going to allow sex trafficking and human trafficking and fentanyl, that's killing over 100 thousands of Americans every year, there's going to be ramifications. We're not going to be suckers anymore. And that's what President Trump has shown, and he's the guy that can make it happen. I'm so excited to even play a small role in getting our industrial base back here in America and have Ohio have a disproportionate amount of that love.
Charlie Kirk
And President Trump is making good on this promise. Bernie, can you also mention how there is immense pressure at times from some, not all, but some in the corporate donor class, to not embrace tariffs? Can you mention that? Because I hear it all the time from even some of our donors at Turning Point. And they mean really well and they're wonderful people. We just disagree. They say, charlie, we can't do any tariffs. Can you mention that? And the courage that it required for President Trump to fulfill this promise, but also for your campaign as well?
Bernie Moreno
Well, Mexico and Canada, they say they're good partners, but they've let our borders be wide open. And a good partner, a good friend, doesn't allow that to happen. They need to crack down on illegal immigration. You know, they've been rewarded, again, just in autos, Charlie, 25% of our auto industry, 25% of the cars that we sell here in America come from Mexico and Canada. You know what that would do if we brought 25% of our car sales and produce them right here in the United States of America, that would be an economic bonanza. For our working class. And of course, look, a lot of the corporate elites don't like it because they make a lot of money by having low wage labor in other countries, especially China and Mexico. And they ship those products here. And who pays the price? The American middle class pays the price. And we're not going to continue to destroy the working class of this country. The people who build this country are going to be rewarded. We're the party that's actually going to rebuild our middle class so that we have a thriving and growing middle class in this country. That's what keeps this country secure. That's the American dream. I saw my own father in law, he's a guy that is a guy who graduated from high school, went to work at US Steel, worked there most of his life, was able to raise three kids in a safe community, own a home, own a car and is now retired, debt free. That's the American dream and that's what we're going to restore in this country.
Charlie Kirk
I love that. Let me play a piece of tape here from Howard Lutnick, who is the incoming Commerce Secretary and also going to be the U.S. trade representative. Play cut 37, please.
Howard Lutnick
And of course it's a bargaining chip. We can sell a Ford or GM in Europe. You go to Europe, you can't sell a Ford GM. Why? There's 100% tariffs. How about in Japan? 100% tariffs. So do you think if we said we're going to tariff you the way you tariff us, do you think they're going to allow Mercedes and all these Japanese companies And Porsches and BMWs to all of a sudden have 100% tariffs in America? Of course not. They're going to come and negotiate and their tariffs are going to come down. And finally Ford and General Motors are going to be able to sell in these places.
Charlie Kirk
How does that sound?
Howard Lutnick
Of course they're going to come down.
Bernie Moreno
Of course.
Howard Lutnick
This is just negotiate.
Charlie Kirk
Your thoughts Bernie, on Howard's comments?
Bernie Moreno
Look at the other day. President Trump laid it out a long time ago. We have leaders that haven't been very smart, Charlie. They've sold this country out. We're going to require fair trade. If one country wants to put in a tariff on our products to their country, maybe we should reciprocate by a three or four times tariff on their products. We're not going to continue to get rolled by these countries. And unfortunately, as you know, Charlie, we have leaders that are corrupt. They've allowed that to happen because it's been rewarding for them. Personally, and what's been a result, like I said earlier, communities like Lorraine, communities like Dayton, communities like Canton, Ohio, that have absolutely gotten crushed, we're not going to allow that to happen. I don't see it just as a negotiation tool. I see it as a reality because, look, we have to make certain that we protect our industrial base. It's also a matter of national security. You know, we were ever to fight any kind of conflict along even remotely the scale of World War II. We do not have the industrial base, Charlie. We've allowed 80% of our pharmaceuticals to be made in China. Most semiconductor chips are made in Taiwan and overseas. We cannot allow our country to get crushed from the inside. So it's not just, of course I agree with Howard, it is a negotiation, but I agree with President Trump more, which is that this is something that we have to look at because there's some interest industries that we're going to make certain that we protect here in the United States of America.
Charlie Kirk
Bernie, I want to get your thoughts here on the couple of minutes we have remaining on Donald Trump's nominees. Your comments on who he is putting forward on this all star cabinet and do you plan to support the full slate, Charlie?
Bernie Moreno
I don't. Politics is so foreign to me. I don't understand why this isn't embraced by every one of my colleagues. Let me lay it out pretty simply. Joe Biden, let me give you a fact. Fact one, Joe Biden had the worst cabinet in American history, the least qualified, the most ignorant cabinet members ever in the history of America, bar none. Okay? That's fact number one. Fact number two, every single Democrat voted to confirm Joe Biden's Cabinet. Fact three, not one single Democrat even made a peep about having a concern about one of Joe Biden's Cabinet members. What we have to do as Republicans is stay focused and united and make certain that we confirm every single person that President Trump nominates. Have him make certain that he has his entire team in place no later than March 1st. Every single nomination, stay focused and stay united so that we can get the agenda done. And if President Trump, above all else, doesn't believe that that person's doing a good job, he will replace them immediately. Unlike Joe Biden, who allowed his Cabinet to run roughshod. The withdrawal from Afghanistan, the open border, all of them kept on board. So my message to every Republican listening, get united, get focused, get every one of these cabinet members confirmed as soon as humanly possible. No more nonsense.
Charlie Kirk
Senator Elect Bernie Moreno. Boy, does that feel good to say. And do we have any idea who you're. Because you're technically going to be the senior senator, right?
Bernie Moreno
That's right.
Charlie Kirk
Is that right?
Bernie Moreno
J.D. j.D. Will serve as the senior senator for a short period of time. He resigns. Mike DeWine is going to appoint somebody. I'm very confident that Mike DeWine will appoint an American first conservative.
Charlie Kirk
Very good. It's kind of funny when you are newly elected and you'll be the senior senator, which I think, I think is great. Senator Elect Bernie could not be more happy. Thank you for everything. Talk to you soon.
Bernie Moreno
Thank you.
Charlie Kirk
That is a great man there. And that is a big win this cycle, everybody. A big, big win. You see, the US Senate is becoming more and more America first. More and more in the form of this audience. It's a big deal.
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Charlie Kirk
So I just want to mention a little bit more on the tariffs. By the way, can you guys get this Walmart clip? Because Walmart is definitely going to be lobbying against tariffs. It just goes to show how Donald Trump is able to make the country great before even becoming president. Walmart announces rollback of all DEI programs. Now why would Walmart do that? Well, they're feeling the cultural pressure because they have no core beliefs at Walmart. None. But Walmart also wants to be in a better negotiating position with Donald Trump because Walmart would get wrecked by a Chinese tariff. But how does one avoid a tariff? I said this repeatedly by the way, Ryan, this is a great time to repost all that tariff content on TikTok and social media because there were a Lot of tariff questions. Back during our campus tour, I bet we could have a contemplation of, like, a lot. How does one avoid a tariff? Let's pretend you are a Japanese car company. How do you avoid a tariff? You avoid a tariff by making the product. In America, there's no tariff. So if you are Toyota, you make your pickup truck in America. Lyndon Baines Johnson actually did a pickup truck tariff. That is why almost all pickup trucks, whether they're American or foreign made, are actually all made in America. They're almost all made in our country. Here is the CEO of Walmart confirming a rollback of DEI policies. Play cut 41st.
Walmart CEO
Let me say, like many companies all across the United States, we've been on a journey and we continue to be on a journey. And what we're trying to do is to ensure that every customer, every associate feels welcome here to shop and to feel like they belong. And that term belong. We've been talking about belonging now for almost two years. Early 2023, we started talking about belonging. And we're going to continue to make the best decisions we can. That makes everyone, our customers, our associates, feel like this is an environment they can shop in and thrive in.
Charlie Kirk
So why is it, by the way? I think that's hilarious. He's like, okay, I'm just going to completely bend the knee to all the cultural pressure. And Walmart is doing that because they want to try to have a relaxing of tariffs. It's all connected. It's all connected. You're trying to tell me the day that Donald Trump announces tariffs on both Mexico, Canada and China is the day that Walmart decides to shed all their DEI stuff? No, no, no, no. It's all connected. Did you know that in 1964, Lyndon Baines Johnson imposed a 25% tariff on imported light trucks known as the chicken tax, in response to European tariffs on American chicken imports. This tariff was a retaliatory measure against European tariffs on American chicken imports. Now, mind you, this tariff has never been lifted. This tariff has never changed. And now, if you want to buy a pickup truck, almost all pickup trucks, Toyota pickup trucks, any foreign company that makes a pickup truck, they make the product in America, and they have to employ Americans and expand our tax base. When you are the incumbent economic power, you have the ability to tell a company, no Porsche, no Volkswagen, Mercedes, Benz, you guys can still have your company and keep your profits, but you have to make the product in Lubbock, Texas, you have to make the product in Wichita, Kansas, you have to make the product in Flagstaff, Arizona. Build the factories here. Build the factories in our country. The chicken Tariff is a 25% tariff on light trucks, one of many that were implemented before. Donald Trump promises to make America a tax haven and a regulatory haven for companies that re domicile their production here. So you think about it, since we are such a desired market, if you want to be able to get access to the wealthiest country, everyone wants access to America, by the way. Everyone wants access to America. Every company will tell you international company, no matter how big and powerful they are in their home country, they want to do business here. Bayer Drug pharmaceuticals want to do business here. Nova Nordsk from Denmark who makes Ozempic, they want to do business here. Use the leverage you have and they will all bend the knee. They will all bend the knee to the will of America to be able to get access to our consumers. It's the art of the deal. And the fact that no one has thought to do this before is either these are all imbeciles or they're bought by the corporations or they don't actually care about the country, or it's kind of a mixture of all three. It is so simple, it's so obvious. And he just runs circles around all of these politicians. Oh, well, we must have unfettered free trade. Why exactly has that made the country better? Are we a healthier country? Are we a more centered country? They were so infatuated with free trade and those mantras of the 90s and early 2000s and they are all getting put to rest. They put profits ahead of patriotism and Donald Trump puts America above all. And so what you are going to see with these tariff threats is all these international companies start to build factories here to avoid the tariffs employing our workers. Wages will go up, our tax base will go up, and that's how you make America great. Again, thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us. As always, freedomarliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless.
Donald Trump
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The Charlie Kirk Show: Donald Trump's Favorite Word – Tariffs
Release Date: November 26, 2024
In the November 26, 2024 episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, host Charlie Kirk delves deep into the significance of tariffs in Donald Trump’s economic and geopolitical strategy. Titled "Donald Trump's Favorite Word: Tariffs," the episode offers an extensive analysis of President Trump's tariff policies, their historical context, and their impact on American industry and international relations. Additionally, the show features an exclusive interview with Senator Elect Bernie Moreno from Ohio, who attributes part of his election success to the burgeoning "America First" movement championed by Trump and organizations like Turning Point USA.
Charlie Kirk opens the episode with enthusiastic endorsements from prominent figures, including a virtual greeting from Donald Trump himself, who praises Kirk’s efforts in building one of the most powerful youth organizations, Turning Point USA. This sets the tone for a discussion centered on strong conservative values and economic nationalism.
At [01:27], Kirk underscores Trump’s emphasis on tariffs as a critical tool for reshaping U.S. foreign policy and domestic economic health. He criticizes the bipartisan support for free trade over the past 40 years, arguing that it has led to deindustrialization, job losses, and economic decline in American manufacturing hubs. Kirk states:
“Donald Trump is a resetting back to where how the economy should be configured. However, the over fixation on international free trade has deindustrialized the American economy.”
Kirk elaborates on how Trump’s tariff policies aim to restore the manufacturing base in the United States. By imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese goods and a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, Trump seeks to protect American industries from unfair competition and reduce dependency on foreign manufacturing. Kirk highlights the broader geopolitical strategy behind these tariffs:
“This involves putting China in check. This involves stopping the hordes of criminal aliens that are coming into our country.”
Drawing parallels to historical tariff implementations, Kirk references the 1964 “chicken tax” imposed by Lyndon B. Johnson, which still affects the automotive industry today. He criticizes contemporary corporate giants like Walmart for opposing tariffs, suggesting that their stance is driven by a desire to maintain low production costs overseas at the expense of American workers. Kirk underscores the strategic use of tariffs as leverage in international negotiations, quoting Howard Lutnick, incoming Commerce Secretary:
“They’re going to come and negotiate and their tariffs are going to come down.”
Senator Elect Bernie Moreno from Ohio joins the show to discuss his landmark victory in one of the most expensive Senate races in history. Moreno attributes his success to the "America First" platform and the support from Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA. At [18:58], Moreno emphasizes:
“We broke a record here at Ohio. The most expensive non-presidential race in American history.”
He details how negative advertising and a disciplined campaign exposed the shortcomings of his opponent, Sherrod Brown, particularly criticizing Brown’s stance on deindustrialization and social issues. Moreno ties his campaign's success directly to Trump's tariff policies, arguing that these measures are essential for protecting American jobs and rebuilding the industrial base in states like Ohio.
Moreno passionately supports Trump’s tariff strategy, explaining its necessity for national security and economic stability. At [23:09], he asserts:
“We're not going to continue to destroy the working class of this country. The people who build this country are going to be rewarded.”
He highlights the detrimental effects of previous administrations on American manufacturing and lauds Trump for taking decisive action to reverse these trends. Moreno also encourages Republican colleagues to unite in confirming Trump’s cabinet nominees, ensuring that the administration can effectively implement its agenda.
Kirk notes the resistance from major corporations, such as Walmart, against the implementation of tariffs. He argues that these companies prioritize profits over national interests, undermining American workers by outsourcing production. Kirk’s analysis suggests that the corporate elite’s opposition is rooted in a reluctance to embrace economic nationalism, thereby hindering efforts to restore American manufacturing.
Kirk praises Trump’s negotiation tactics, likening his use of tariffs to a strategic bargaining chip that forces other nations to reconsider their trade practices with the U.S. He predicts that Trump's approach will compel countries like Mexico and Canada to renegotiate trade deals, ultimately benefiting the American economy.
“They need to make certain that we protect our industrial base. It's also a matter of national security.”
In the concluding segments, Charlie Kirk reaffirms his support for Trump’s tariff policies as a means to revitalize the American economy and restore the middle class. He underscores the importance of prioritizing American interests in global trade and industrial policies. The episode ends with a strong endorsement of the "America First" agenda, emphasizing that these measures are crucial for ensuring the nation's long-term prosperity and security.
Donald Trump on Charlie Kirk [00:39]:
“He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point USA.”
Charlie Kirk on Deindustrialization [00:50]:
“We must make stuff. You cannot have a software dependent economy. You must also have a hardware economy.”
Senator Elect Bernie Moreno on Campaign Strategy [19:57]:
“We broke a record here at Ohio. The most expensive non-presidential race in American history.”
Howard Lutnick on Tariffs [24:40]:
“They’re going to come and negotiate and their tariffs are going to come down.”
Bernie Moreno on Protecting the Middle Class [23:09]:
“We're not going to continue to destroy the working class of this country. The people who build this country are going to be rewarded.”
This episode of The Charlie Kirk Show provides a comprehensive examination of Donald Trump’s tariff policies and their intended role in reshaping both the American economy and its position on the global stage. Through insightful analysis and a compelling interview with Senator Elect Bernie Moreno, Kirk effectively communicates the critical importance of economic nationalism and the need to protect and restore American industry. For listeners seeking a deeper understanding of the current economic strategies shaping the United States, this episode serves as an essential resource.