Up next in 10
Ben Kentish and Nick Ferrari listeners take to the phone lines to give their views on Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs.
00:00 - Caller Matthew reveals the surprising ‘good thing’ about Trump’s tariffs.
02:30 - American caller Adam says the world is ‘paying the price’ for Donald Trump’s childhood.
09:14 - Caller Nigel is not happy that ‘all our focus’ is on Trump’s tariffs instead of the Chancellor’s ‘Awful April’.
10:33 - Caller Dave says ‘no one’s mentioned the elephant in the room’.
Listen to the full show on Global Player: https://app.af.globalplayer.com/Br0x/LBCYouTubeListenLive
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0:00
Well, I think what Trump's done is actually a good thing
0:03
I mean, I've got to remind you that American people will be paying these tariffs
0:07
when they import the goods in America. And it's actually going to be better for the planet
0:14
because if they do start producing the goods in America, then the transport costs and the transport on the planet will be better
0:28
That's a glass half full way looking at it, Matthew. It might cripple the US economy and destroy British business and lead to tens of thousands of jobs being lost
0:35
but it might have an impact unwittingly on climate change, you think
0:39
Well, yeah, but I think what it is, I mean, it's a new world order and, you know, the way the world is going
0:44
And I think each country has to try to be more independent and also watch their global footprint
0:50
footprint, but the WTO, this is an opportunity for the WTO to step in and actually say
0:58
World Trade Organisation, they're going to introduce a world global warming tariff
1:08
and they could actually say, right, all members have to pay based on their, so anything that
1:13
gets imported in your country, if you import something from America, if they're global
1:19
footprint is too high, there could be a 5% tariff, or China, or whatever
1:28
And so in tariffs, then all that money could go into a global pot
1:32
to be used. Matthew, do you not worry about this new protectionist, new world order
1:37
that you're talking about? You're talking about it as a good thing. Free trade, and the
1:41
fact that we are so reliant on each other now, is a large part of the reason that we've had
1:47
relative peace and haven't had a world war. in the last 80 years or so
1:51
do you not worry that if countries are sort of acting purely out of self-interest once again
1:57
then that becomes more likely? Well, I think that we've got to look after the planet
2:03
So if, I mean, if, you know, these tariffs do make people produce more locally
2:10
and say, you know, they... That's what Trump says they will. I'm not convinced that they will lead to companies moving their business to America
2:18
But we wait to see. Matthew, it's a way of looking at it. It's a slightly optimistic way of looking at it, in my view. But you might be right. There might be some unwitting positive consequences on things like emissions. Let's go to Virginia stateside and talk to Adam, who's calling from Harrisonburg in that state. Adam, hi. Hi
2:38
Yeah, I wanted to call in and give an American perspective, I suppose
2:45
Well, two things. It's interesting. You've been asking why is he doing this
2:51
And it actually occurred to me an answer as I was waiting on this call that I can present
2:56
It not the original reason I called But I think if I can address that Trump is His policies are not formed by Trump They formed by the people around him who view Trump as a useful idiot to enact these policies
3:10
because Trump is a master of branding and can market these really unpopular things on their
3:16
face in such a way that Americans fall for it. And the reason for these tariffs, you know
3:22
the reason for crippling us, intentionally so, whether Donald Trump understands tariffs or not
3:29
the people around him, I think, fundamentally do. And you look at the billionaires, right
3:36
the influence of Peter Thiel, the influence of Elon Musk, these types, and the Heritage Foundation
3:43
Project 2025, they lay out their plans pretty clearly. They want to go back to a state of
3:49
company towns. You know, they're talking about these freedom cities and people would live within
3:55
these places. The currency would be run by whatever company has employed them. I think in
4:00
order to get Americans to swallow that pill, they need Americans to be in a state of desperation
4:05
And so I think this inflicted... I don't know. No, no. And the reason that I'm not convinced by
4:13
your very well-made and very compelling argument is because this has been a bugbear, a pet peeve of
4:19
Donald Trump for a very, very long time. Let me read you a quote from Donald Trump. I believe very strongly in tariffs. America is being ripped off. We have to tariff. We have to
4:28
protect this country. When do you think Donald Trump said that? Well, I would imagine you're
4:34
going to tell me a long time ago. And I have an answer. I think it does speak to psychology
4:39
Right. OK. Oh, man, if it's way back, I mean, is it 2010? Is it before that
4:46
Well, more way back from 2010, 1988, Donald Trump said that. OK. So this is something that Donald Trump has wanted to do for literally decades
4:57
Do you think that has any correlation with when he began contacting or being contacted by the Kremlin
5:04
I don't know. There's no evidence he has been contracted by the Kremlin. And it did, I read, though, Adam
5:10
That comment in particular followed Donald Trump being outbid by a Japanese company for a piano that he was trying to buy that was used in the film Casablanca
5:20
prompting him to go on a rant shortly afterwards about how unfair the Japanese trade advantage was
5:25
So is it that simple? It's personal, right? It's always personal with him
5:30
Well, let me read you another quote, just because it's come up on the topic that we're talking about
5:34
This is the co-author of The Art of the Deal, the guy that ghost wrote the book that helped make Donald Trump particularly famous, who says this
5:44
This is a guy called Tony Schwartz, co-author of The Art of the Deal. Remarkably, Trump has spent his life feeling like a victim
5:51
What he means is at any time he doesn't totally dominate, he is being ripped off
5:55
The world is now paying the price of his childhood. Interesting Yeah Yeah I think that true Yes I mean I think that people who study psychology have made this inference
6:13
It's not just mine, but you know, he certainly has narcissistic tendencies and, you know
6:17
a worldview in which he feels as though he deserves everything that he wants
6:23
And when he doesn't get it, it so shakes him that it must be unjust, it must be unfair
6:29
it must be something personally levied against him out of, you know, malice
6:34
And if he can sort of score some points against the people that he feels have wronged him
6:39
and in doing so destroy the livelihoods and the businesses of millions of Americans
6:43
then that's something that it seems he's willing to do. It may be one of the few things that brings him joy
6:50
Do you think it will go down well with his supporters in states like yours, Adam
6:56
Well, and that goes with the nuance that I wanted to add to this conversation when I first called in, which is that they will certainly feel it
7:05
The question is whether or not they attribute it to him. The propaganda machine is very strong, and he's very good at blaming people who are seemingly completely unconnected
7:19
But what I wanted to say, if you don't mind, what I would like Britain to do in terms of retaliatory tariffs, just from my perspective, and it might be presumptuous for me to give this
7:31
But, you know, I tend to have I've come to the realization or the assumption, perhaps, that the only way that this fever breaks, the only way that these people who have supported Trump for so long, the only thing that could potentially wake them up
7:46
and I still have doubts about whether or not all of them will, I think some will not
7:50
is when it does actually begin to touch their personal lives. Yes
7:55
And I think the sooner that happens, we've been using the frog in the boiling water ogy for so long
8:02
I think if things are happening at such a speed, and I'm hoping that what Doge is doing is happening so quickly
8:11
that it wakes people up. And so I think anything we can do, anything you can do to to up that pressure, because I'm not sure at this point if it's totally going to be needed, Adam, to be honest with you, because my view is most Americans who voted for Trump did so because he promised to make their lives better
8:31
He said, I will cut your bills. I will bring back your jobs. And what we've heard, even from those who defend what we've had announced tonight, is actually in the short term, at least it's going to have the opposite effect
8:40
so how those people who put their faith in this man twice in some cases to make them better off
8:46
will feel when their fuel goes up their car costs go up by 25 percent their bills go up their food
8:52
shop goes up all the rest of it quite quickly i think a lot of them will say that's not what i
8:57
promised and that not what i voted for has donald trump just absolutely decimated his support base has he already handed the next presidential election to the democrats let alone the midterms Too early to say any of that for sure But I think it possible at the very least that that what we seen happen tonight I wish Mr Trump every success in making
9:16
the economy better in the United States. And there are two points I think are really important
9:21
which haven't been discussed. First of all, all our focus is on Donald Trump and how bad it is
9:26
for our economy. What did Rachel Reeves do in the last few weeks? She's made our economy an awful
9:31
April, and now with an insurance hike. How many businesses are going to go bust
9:35
because of that, and people are going to lose their jobs? That's the first point. And the second point about the
9:39
car story, it's not quite as bad as it's painted. How many cars do we make here that are
9:45
sold to the United States? The United States don't take Ford cars. All they take is
9:51
Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, which don't even make any cars anymore. It's worth
9:57
£6.4 billion. Yeah, but when you have cars selling £300,000 each, Nick. It doesn't take a lot
10:03
of money to work out how much it will make. Most cars are made in Europe. I've got it here. 25,000
10:09
UK jobs are at risk in factories such as JLRs, Jaguilandria in the West Midlands
10:13
and the BMW Mini plant in Oxford. Those are the ones... That's fair enough
10:18
But then again, also... Of course it is. But also in the United States, they build
10:23
BMWs and they build Mercedes in the Carolinas. I'm not saying it's not
10:27
going to have an effect, but I think what's Morgan have more of an effect is how my life has been turned upside down by Rachel Reeves
10:33
No one's mentioned the elephant in the room about these tariffs. The only reason why we have tariffs is simply down to basically the Labour Party and the leaders
10:42
and what's led up to this point. We had Keir Starmer that's been repeatedly on record saying he's anti-Trump
10:49
what a danger he is to the world. They looked to be getting on quite well in February, Dave
10:54
Yeah, it was... Did you see the body language in the Oval Office? You had David Lammy down there, that there, and he was calling him a racist, a misogynist
11:02
Just before the elections, the American elections, we had the Labour Party sent members over to rally for the Democrats
11:11
That was very stupid. Now, that, it's an own goal. Well, we've got the Labour Party. Let me just ask you, let me just ask you
11:16
I thought the warmth that was expressed towards the United Kingdom when the letter was produced by Sir Keir Starmer
11:21
inviting Donald Trump for a presidential visit from the King, that seemed genuinely warm, Dave, no
11:27
It was the creepiest thing I've seen on the telly this year
11:31
It was absolutely... Honestly, I could not believe it. I could see the body language of Trump
11:36
He was in contempt of Keir Starmer. Are you suggesting if Rishi Sunak had been successful in the general election
11:43
we wouldn't have had the telly? Absolutely. We've got Taris simply down to that
11:48
He owes grudges, does Donald. We know that. Yes, that's true. We know that, and nobody's actually mentioned the fact that..
11:56
What they should have said, their thoughts on Trump should be behind closed doors
12:02
And they've been out there. The EU are paying for it now. The EU did it
12:06
NATO have done it. All the EU members of NATO
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