These guys really don’t understand how this works:
Speaking on Meet the Press on Sunday, Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, said that tariffs would help “grow our economy in a way we’ve never grown before.”
Asked about forecasts from banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, who say a recession in the next 12 months has become more likely, Mr. Lutnick said that Americans should not be bracing for a recession.
“I would never bet on recession,” he said. “No chance.”
Mr. Lutnick claimed that the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce government deficits would drive interest rates down, while drilling more oil would also bring down the price of energy. He acknowledged that tariffs could increase the price of foreign goods, but said that domestic goods would get cheaper.
Many economists have expressed other views, saying that tariffs on foreign products can help U.S. companies become more profitable by giving them space to raise their prices, as well.
“Foreign goods may get a little more expensive,” Mr. Lutnick said. “But American goods are going to get cheaper, and you’re going to be helping Americans by buying American.”