President Donald Trump isn’t backing down on tariffs, and he just made it clear that Canada and Mexico could be facing even steeper trade penalties than the 25% set to kick in next month. In a fiery interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, Trump doubled down on his America-first economic policies, warning that tariffs could go up even more over time.
“Well, I think so,” Trump said when asked if his administration would provide more clarity to business leaders about trade policy. “But, you know, the tariffs could go up as time goes by, and they may go up.”
Bartiromo pushed back, saying that kind of uncertainty isn’t clarity for businesses trying to plan ahead.
“No, I think that they say that,” Trump shot back. “It sounds good to say, but for years, the globalists—the big globalists—have been ripping off the United States. They’ve been taking money away from the United States, and all we’re doing is getting some of it back.”
Trump has never been shy about his stance on trade, but now he’s taking direct aim at the so-called “free trade” policies that have let other countries profit at America’s expense. He made it clear that these tariffs aren’t just a bargaining chip—they’re a way to force fairness back into the system.
“This country has been ripped off from every nation in the world, every company outside in the world,” Trump said. “We’ve been ripped off at levels never seen before, and all we’re going to do is get it back.”
Trump initially delayed the tariff rollout on Mexico and Canada, but not because he’s cutting them slack. Instead, he said it was a strategic move to help American car manufacturers before the new rules take effect on April 2.
“We do very little with Canada by comparison,” Trump explained. “And I wanted to help the American car makers until April 2. April 2, it becomes all reciprocal.”
Reciprocal tariffs are a key piece of Trump’s strategy—meaning if Canada and Mexico charge the U.S. higher trade fees, America will return the favor. “What they charge us, we charge them,” he said. “It’s a big deal.”
Translation? The days of America getting ripped off in trade deals are over.
