The Commerce Secretary under Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick, has been in the middle of internal tensions at the White House. The president is expected to announce a sweeping new round of tariffs in what is termed “Liberation Day.”
The tariffs have been pushed by Lutnick, who has been spending extended time at the Oval Office to convince Trump to roll them out. Now, multiple sources in the white house have told Politico that if anything goes wrong as a result of the tariffs, all blames will be directed at him.
The blame game has already started, with those working close to the president mentioning that the influence of Lutnick on this policy has not gone down well with most people. “I think people would take special pleasure in blaming him,” an official said. The main issue, according to reports, is that Lutnick has been urging Trump to double down on tariffs, ignoring calls for caution.
White House may blame Lutnick over Liberation Day fallout
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly advised the president to pursue more focused, targeted tariffs, while Lutnick has been pushing what one person described as “crazy shit.” They said, “He’s a new voice at the table pushing aggressive stuff,” adding, “I don’t know anyone that isn’t pissed off at him.”
Trade adviser Peter Navarro has also been a loud voice supporting the tariffs in the administration, but those working with him mentioned that he is predictable. His views are well known, and while he believes in tariffs, he’s not causing the internal upheaval that Lutnick is. “Every member of the Trump administration is aligned on finally leveling the playing field for American industries and workers,” a white house spokesperson said.
People in the building have singled out Lutnick, noting that his constant proximity to the president has rubbed the staff the wrong way. Everybody in Washington is freaking out about what could come on April 2,” a worker at the White House said. They mentioned that business leaders are anticipating the worst. “The corporate world has no optimism right now. They know tariffs are coming, and they hope that the damage will be fast and significant enough to quickly have the administration backtrack,” another worker said.
Trump, on the other hand, isn’t worried, with a White House source mentioning that he enjoys the tension. They said he loves the panic, noting that he wants foreign governments to start making calls from that panic. “Trump wants to hear you grovel and say you’ll cut a deal,” the official said. The statement makes sense, considering the way Trump behaves.
Whether the bet pays off or not remains unclear. When asked if foreign governments begging for deals before Wednesday would make a difference, the same White House official said, “I think it depends. Some [nations] will cut a deal before, and some just won’t get it and will get pounded. And then we’ll see how fast they start dealing.”