Dem running to replace Ryan says Trump’s tariffs could work if part of ‘intelligent plan’

The Democratic candidate running to replace Speaker Paul Rayn (R-Wis.) in the state’s first congressional district said in an interview that aired Monday on “Rising” that President Trump’s tariffs could work if they are well-thought-out.

“It could be done and, with the longterm, well-thought-out, intelligent plan, I think there’s a possibility they could work,” Randy Bryce, who is an ironworker and union advocate, told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on Wednesday. 

He did, however, express issues with the tariffs in their current state.

“But we’re seeing jobs leave, especially Wisconsin is being hit,” he continued. “There’s going to be some permanent damage. I mean, even Republican senators stated this is going to cause permanent damage to the state of Wisconsin.”

“Right now it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to have a policy in place where we’re basically borrowing money from China, paying back at interest, and using money to subsidize farmers for not selling their product to China. That’s kind of a twisted way of looking at trade,” he said.

He went on to say that he would tell President Trump “great job” if something was done to keep jobs from leaving.

“If we could do something to keep the jobs from leaving, I’d be in favor of it, and I’d say ‘great job, Donald Trump,’ but it’s not part of an intelligent plan.”

The Trump administration and China have gone back and forth this year as each has slapped tariffs on the other nation’s products.

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) slammed Trump’s tariffs in July, saying that they could cause permanent damage to the Wisconsin economy.

“The problem with that is it raises the cost of American-manufactured products, Wisconsin-manufactured products, which makes them less competitive on the global trade market,” Johnson said.

Bryce’s interview was apart of Hill.TV’s “Contenders” series.

He has been endorsed by Ball’s PAC the People’s House Project.