The mainstream media loves to play “gotcha” with the Trump admin. But that doesn’t always end well.
And an ABC host was made to look like a complete moron with this one answer from a top Trump official.
Trump’s Economic Maverick Kevin Hassett Slaps Down ABC’s Stephanopoulos in Fiery Tariff Showdown
President Donald Trump’s economic maestro, Kevin Hassett, took ABC News host George Stephanopoulos to task on Sunday, delivering a masterclass in defending the administration’s bold tariff agenda. The clash came hot on the heels of Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs targeting roughly 60 countries slapping import fees on American goods—a move that sent the stock market into a two-day nosedive, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average logging its sharpest drop since June 2020 on Friday. Stephanopoulos, clearly fishing for a gotcha moment, grilled Hassett on whether Trump’s tariff gambit was a cunning ploy to crash markets and strong-arm the Federal Reserve into slashing interest rates.
Hassett didn’t flinch. “The bottom line is the president has been talking about tariffs for 40 years. This is like been absolutely the policy that he’s focused on in the campaign and throughout his political career,” he fired back. Trump’s tariff crusade isn’t some last-minute curveball—it’s the beating heart of his economic vision, a promise etched into his platform since day one. Hassett waved off market jitters as mere background noise, pointing out that Federal Reserve cycles ebb and flow independently of Trump’s laser focus on leveling the trade playing field.
Stephanopoulos, undeterred, leaned into his narrative, citing a video Trump reposted on Truth Social claiming he’d intentionally tanked the market. Was this the grand strategy? Hassett stood firm: “But this is President Trump’s desired policy. He’s been arguing for it ever since I think he was on The View 30, 40 years ago. The baseline tariffs is exactly what he put into the convention. So this is not a surprise for anyone.” For Trump loyalists, this is vintage MAGA—decades of consistency now roaring to life, unshaken by Wall Street’s tantrums.
The ABC host, however, couldn’t resist turning the exchange into a verbal cage match, talking over Hassett to press his Fed conspiracy angle. “We understand the Fed is an independent agency. We respect the independence of the Fed,” Hassett countered coolly. Trump might have opinions—strong ones—but coercion? That’s off the table. The administration’s got bigger fish to fry than puppeteering interest rates, and Hassett made it clear: this is about policy, not politics.
Stephanopoulos, like a dog with a bone, circled back, hammering Hassett on whether crashing the market was Trump’s secret weapon to juice the economy. Hassett didn’t budge. “He’s not trying to take the market. He’s trying to deliver for American workers,” he shot back. “What would you have him do? Again, real wages down 15 years in a row under the previous policy.” For Team Trump, this is the real story: a stagnant economy under past regimes that left workers in the dust, now getting a lifeline from a president who keeps his promises.
The host’s persistence bordered on obsession, asking a fourth time for “clarity” on Trump’s intent. Hassett, patience wearing thin but resolve intact, snapped, “I’m giving you clarity.” Stephanopoulos doubled down, pointing to Trump’s own post as evidence of a market-crash masterplan. Hassett wasn’t having it. “It’s not a strategy for the markets to crash. It is not a strategy for the markets to crash,” he insisted. “It’s a strategy to create a gold image in America for the American worker. That’s his strategy.” This is Trump’s endgame: a thriving heartland, not a Wall Street scoreboard.
Rewind to Wednesday, when Trump unveiled the tariff blueprint—10% across the board, with heavy hitters like China (34%) and Israel (17%) facing stiffer penalties to match their own anti-U.S. trade walls. It’s a tit-for-tat approach that’s pure Trump: America first, no apologies. China’s 67% tariff on U.S. goods? Meet its match. Israel’s 33%? Halved and hurled back. This isn’t reckless—it’s reciprocal, a calculated jab at nations bleeding American prosperity dry.
The market’s reaction was predictably dramatic—1,679.39 points shed Thursday, another 2,200 gone Friday. Nervous Nellies in Congress and cable news clucked their disapproval, but Trump’s base knows this is the cost of disruption. The man himself took to Truth Social on Saturday, rallying the troops: “We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN.” It’s a battle cry for the real patriots willing to weather the storm.
“HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Trump’s words aren’t just bravado—they’re a roadmap. The Dow’s tumble is a blip compared to the tidal wave of investment and jobs he’s unleashing. Critics clutching their pearls miss the point: this isn’t about short-term optics; it’s about rewriting America’s economic destiny.
For the Trump administration, the tariff fight is a righteous reckoning. Decades of lopsided trade deals gutted American workers—Hassett’s 15-year wage stagnation stat is a gut punch to the old guard’s legacy. Trump’s not here to coddle markets; he’s here to resurrect factories, rebuild communities, and remind the world that America doesn’t bow to anyone. Stephanopoulos might see chaos; Trump sees chess.
Hassett’s showdown with ABC’s resident skeptic was more than a Sunday sparring session—it was a window into the grit driving this White House. The economic adviser didn’t just defend Trump’s playbook; he painted a picture of a leader unshackled by convention, wielding tariffs like a hammer to smash the status quo. The market may wobble, but Trump’s resolve doesn’t.
Detractors will howl, but the Trump faithful see the bigger prize. Five trillion dollars in investment isn’t a fluke—it’s a down payment on an industrial renaissance. The president’s betting big, and if history’s any guide, he doesn’t bluff. Stephanopoulos wanted a soundbite; Hassett gave him a sermon on why America elected Trump to shake things up.
This is the Trump economic doctrine in full swing: take the hits, stay the course, and deliver for the forgotten. The Dow’s rough patch? A small price for a seismic win. As Hassett made crystal clear, this isn’t about crashing markets—it’s about crashing through decades of failure to forge a golden era for the American worker. Game on.
