In an interview between Foxs News anchor Leland Vittert and White House National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro, things got heated as they spoke about the tariffs with China.
The news anchor interrupted Navarro several times and more frequently as the interview progressed.
“I don’t understand that, the hostility here,” said Navarro at one point, even seeming surprised. “It’s really simple, when China manipulates currency, they go in and intervene in the currency markets so they buy dollars … ”
After some back and forth talk in which Vittert insisted U.S. companies pay the balance that is owed to farmers impacted by the tariffs, Navarro said, “You’re wrong, sir. You are absolutely wrong here… [Vittert interrupts again] You can’t keep doing this. You’re being very overbearing and demonstrating a lack of understanding of the dynamics of this situation.”
“What are you doing here? Are you going to give me a chance to respond?” complained Navarro.
“Go ahead. Please,” said Vittert.
Navarro: “So, China lowers the value of their currency and that translates to a lower price so it totally offsets any kind of tariff impact. They are also cutting their prices, so you’re also talking about a paper transaction, when in fact China bears the burden through the lower tariff. You put a tariff on at 10% and they lower their currency by 12%, right, are consumers hurt? Absolutely not. We have raised 35 billion worth of tariffs … they’ve borne the China burden.”
“You’ve got to back off here,” said a clearly irritated Navarro after Vittert once again interrupts Navarro about farmers who say they are hurt by the policy.
“I’ll try to roll off the set,” said the jackass trying to be funny. “I ask the questions, you answer them. You’ve just said the farmers were made whole.”
Navarro: “You know, this hostility is personally to me …” said Navarro after another series of crosstalk.
Vittert: “Usually people ask questions and they get an answer.”
Navarro: “All you keep doing is interrupting me. That’s all you do here. You roll back the tape here – all you do is when I start to ask a question.”
Vittert: “Clearly not an answer, just a filibuster. Gotta run …”
“‘Gotta run, after you interrupted me probably 30 times. This is shameful sir.” Navarro mocked.
Watch below:
Here’s Part 2 of the interview: