US President Joe Biden on Thursday expressed hope that President-elect Donald Trump will reconsider his pledge to apply tariffs on Mexico and Canada, saying the move would be “counterproductive.”
Earlier this week, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada as soon as he takes office.
During a visit to the Nantucket Fire Department on the morning of Thanksgiving Day, Biden suggested taking such action against US neighbours and allies would be a mistake.
“I hope he rethinks it. I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do,” Biden said of Trump. “We have an unusual situation in America. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and two allies, Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships. I think we’ve got them in a good place.”
Trump has previously suggested tariffs would motivate Mexico and Canada to address some of the issues he repeatedly complained about during his White House bid — undocumented immigrants crossing into the US through the southern border and the fentanyl crisis. Trump said the two countries could “easily solve” those issues.
“We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” Trump said Monday.
Biden, for his part, noted that border crossings have decreased significantly since Trump’s last term in office.
Trump has also said he will levy an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods in January.
As Biden wraps up his final months in office, he spoke to reporters about what he is grateful for this Thanksgiving season.
“I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for the peaceful transition of the presidency,” he said.
He added that he is thankful for the US-backed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The deal does not cover the war in Gaza.
In a statement released by the White House addressing another major foreign policy concern for his administration, Biden slammed Russia for its Thursday attacks on several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, targeting the country’s energy infrastructure as the winter months approach.
“This attack is outrageous and serves as yet another reminder of the urgency and importance of supporting the Ukrainian people in their defense against Russian aggression,” Biden said.
Trump’s impending return to the White House has prompted concern among Ukraine allies about the future of US support for Kyiv given the president-elect has previously refused to say whether it would be in the United States’ interest for Ukraine to win the war.
But during his remarks to reporters, Biden said he will work to ensure the transition to the Trump administration “goes smoothly,” while seeming to express hope that Trump may walk back some of his controversial campaign pledges.
“I want to make sure it goes smoothly. All the talk about what he’s going to do or not do — I think there may be a little bit of an internal reckoning on his part,” he said of Trump. “So it remains to be seen.”
Biden added that the makeup of the incoming Congress with Republicans having a thin majority in both the House and the Senate will require “some real compromise.”
“But we’ll see,” Biden said. “On Thanksgiving, I am hopeful.”