The Tariff Two-Step: Bessent on a Trade War 4/8/25

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls China’s tariff escalation a “big mistake,” adding that he expects the U.S. to be able to reach deals with its trading partners. On the other hand, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says while he supports President Donald Trump, he does not support tariffs, emphasizing that every trade relationship is mutually beneficial. Plus, Apple is reportedly planning to source more iPhones from India after Trump’s China tariffs, and Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke told employees that they’ll have to show their jobs can’t be done by artificial intelligence before asking for more headcount and resources. Sec. Scott Bessent - 16:39 Sen. Rand Paul - 34:52 In this episode: Scott Bessent, @SecScottBessent Rand Paul, @SenRandPaul Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin Cameron Costa, @cameroncostany

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Squawk Pod is a daily, guided curation of the top moments and takeaways from CNBC’s flagship morning show, “Squawk Box”, anchored by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin. Each day, the podcast includes news making interviews, perspective and analysis from iconic guest hosts, and slices of debate and discussion—from the heated to the hilarious— all wrapped with exclusive context and color from Senior Producer Katie Kramer.