Rep. Donalds on Trump tariffs: ‘The risks are worth it’

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) touted President Trump’s decision to levy 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods and 10 percent on Chinese exports.

In an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” with Chris Stirewalt, the close Trump ally was asked whether “the risks here” are “worth the cost” that even the president, himself, acknowledged may come as a result of the tariffs.

“I would say the risks are worth it,” Donalds said. “And the reason is because, with respect to China and Mexico in particular, there is a massive amount of fentanyl coming into the United States and killing our people. And in order to get this under control quickly, you need the Chinese government and the Mexican government to step in and do the business on their side of the border to help protect our people.”

“And if they're not going to do it out of the kindness of their hearts, then yes, we are going to have to use every tool in the toolbox, economically, in order to do so,” Donalds added.

Donalds similarly defended the move in order to protect the northern border with Canada.

“And with respect to Canada, it is about making sure that they do their job on their side of the border to help secure the northern border that Joe Biden left wide open during his last four years,” he said.

“America is not as secure as it needs to be, and if those nations are not going to help us out to do the right thing, then we're going to have to move them into a better posture to be more willing to do what needs to be done,” Donalds continued.

The president on Saturday signed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China that are set to go into effect on Tuesday. Canadian energy imports will only be tariffed at 10 percent. The orders Trump signed do not contain exceptions, and they include a clause that warns Trump may increase the tariffs if each country retaliates.

Experts have repeatedly warned that tariffs could lead to higher costs that companies will pass onto consumers. 

The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank, estimated Trump’s tariffs announced Saturday would result in what amounts to an average tax increase of $830 per household in the U.S.

The move led to swift responses from all three nations.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday night that Canada would impose 25 percent tariffs on more than $100 billion of U.S. goods. Trudeau’s likely successor, Pierre Poilievre, called Trump’s tariffs “unjust and unjustified” and called for a “dollar-for-dollar” response.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post to X in Spanish that her team was working on a response that included measures to defend her country’s interests, though specific steps were not immediately clear.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said early Sunday it would file a legal case against the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Hill is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns NewsNation.