President Donald Trump held nothing back during a press conference in the Oval Office on Thursday, engaging in a tense exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins while unveiling his administration’s bold plan for reciprocal tariffs. The proposal, designed to match the tax rates foreign countries impose on American imports, marks a significant shift in U.S. trade policy. As Trump signed the bill enacting the tariffs, Collins attempted to interrupt with a question about the economic impact of the policy.
“Mr. President, you’ve won the White House in part because of high inflation. If your tariffs make prices go up—” Collins began. But Trump immediately cut her off. “Excuse me, we haven’t asked you to speak yet,” he fired back, dismissing the CNN correspondent. “They charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same,” Trump said from the Oval Office before signing the executive bill called the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan.”
The heated exchange occurred as Trump introduced his much-anticipated reciprocal tariff plan, a policy aimed at addressing trade imbalances. Under the new structure, the U.S. will impose the same tariffs on foreign goods that those countries place on American exports. Trump teased the announcement earlier in the day on Truth Social, posting, “THREE GREAT WEEKS, PERHAPS THE BEST EVER, BUT TODAY IS THE BIG ONE: RECIPROCAL TARIFFS!!! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
The president has consistently criticized unfair trade practices, blaming previous administrations for allowing China, the European Union, and other economic rivals to impose heavy tariffs on American goods while benefiting from lower duties on their own exports. Later in the press conference, Collins pressed Trump on Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, asking whether Russian President Vladimir Putin could simply “withdraw” from the conflict.
“This should have been done by Biden years ago,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “This should have never been allowed to happen. I know he’s [Biden] a friend of yours,” Trump joked to Collins. “He’s a friend of CNN. That’s why nobody watches CNN anymore, because they have no credibility.” Without missing a beat, Trump turned to the room, brushing past Collins. “Okay, who else? Yes, please,” he said, recognizing another reporter.
