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CNN anchor Abby Phillip trounced her conservative “NewsNight” co-host Scott Jennings on Thursday during an argument over America’s trade war with China, and stated firmly that “backing down isn’t leverage” — as the President Donald Trump fan seemed to suggest.
The discussion centered on an announcement Monday from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Trump has agreed to lower his 145% tariff on Chinese imports to 30% in exchange for a 10% export tariff, but only for 90 days, as negotiations continue.
Jennings praised Trump for “creating leverage” against China, prompting Phillip to note the administration launched these negotiations only to “unilaterally” lower their own 145% levy — and that Trump “negotiated himself down off of a hill that he climbed on his own.”
“I’m not sure how that’s creating leverage,” she continued.
When Jennings argued “the leverage is getting them to the table,” Phillip pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t been offered a new permanent trade agreement yet, only for Jennings to claim this is “not true” — and that “they’re already negotiating non-tariff trade barriers.”
“Scott, backing down is not leverage,” replied Phillip. “Backing down is just backing down.”
Trump announced steep international tariffs on what he dubbed “Liberation Day” in April, imposing a 10% baseline levy on all U.S. imports, with higher tariffs against China fluctuating for weeks. This sent markets into upheaval and sparked fears of a severe recession.
“Getting them to the table is leverage,” said Jennings before making an appeal to emotion.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“I mean, if you hate Donald Trump, this is how you would describe it,” he argued, adding: “The better way to describe it is, bring these people to the table, get the trade situation with the tariff rates correct, but also the non-tariff issues that we have going on with China ....”
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“OK,” Phillip interrupted. “None of which have been dealt with. That is a fact.”
Guest panelist and economist Natasha Sarin noted earlier in the discussion that the tariffs are likely to raise prices for American consumers, cost up to 500,000 people their jobs and shrink the economy — which Trump has previously dismissed as “a little disturbance.”
On Monday, Trump painted his own tariff reversal regarding China as a major victory.
English (US) ·