Springfield Standard

Senator Schmitt appeared on Newsmax to discuss President Trump's economic strategies aimed at revitalizing American jobs and manufacturing. In a conversation with Newsmax, Schmitt highlighted Trump's trade policies as central to economic growth.

Schmitt noted, "I think the best evidence of this is President Trump’s first term. He instituted tariffs, where we saw record wage growth, and it didn’t matter the demographic. Male, female, black, white. Everybody made more money, including inflation-adjusted numbers." He attributed the economic success to effective energy, tax, regulatory, and trade policies, suggesting a continuation of these policies under Trump’s administration.

On the topic of China, Schmitt described the country as "the world’s biggest cheater." He stated, “China’s a different animal. They export five times the amount we export to them. They steal our intellectual property, they subsidize products, they dump products, they take out whole industries." Schmitt argued that China poses not only a military threat but also an economic one, criticizing their trade practices since joining the World Trade Organization.

Regarding the start of Trump’s second term, Schmitt said, “This was a slow-moving disaster that didn’t happen overnight. Joe Biden in four years absolutely wrecked our economy. We saw 20 percent inflation, so everything got way more expensive. Mortgage costs doubled based on those interest rates that went up." Schmitt expressed optimism about the progress made during Trump’s initial hundred days in his second term, stating, “But I think you’ve seen real progress in the first hundred days…so I’m very encouraged about where we’re at.”