MSNBC commentator and former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill claimed Americans were 'not smart enough' to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.
McCaskill appeared on Monday's edition of Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace to discuss the fallout of Trump's tariff policy and Walmart's announcement that they were considering raising prices.
McCaskill was featured on a panel with Charlotte Howard, the Executive Editor for The Economist and David Gura, Anchor and Correspondent for Bloomberg News, where they sounded off on how tariffs are forcing retailers to raise prices.
In response to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece claiming Americans were 'too smart' to fall for Trump's rhetoric, McCaskill issued a bold proclamation.
McCaskill argued that many Americans aren't in tune with politics and their social media algorithms aren't showing them economic updates.
She went on to say that US citizens may not be up to date with tariffs, but are going to feel the impact of Trump's policy when shopping at Walmart or checking their 401(k)s.
'And yes, the Wall Street Journal may say Americans are smart enough to know better. I will tell the Wall Street Journal this - America, I believe, clearly was not smart enough to keep this guy from the White House,' McCaskill said.
'He is causing confusion and uncertainty in a segment of our economy that desperately needs certainty, and by doing that, he is going to get higher prices - and that's when America will finally get smart.
Claire McCaskill, an MSNBC contributor and former Democratic Senator, gave a blistering message to the American people during a recent broadcast
McCaskill slammed Donald Trump's tariff policy, telling MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace, 'He is causing confusion and uncertainty in a segment of our economy that desperately needs certainty, and by doing that he is going to get higher prices - and that's when America will finally get smart'
McCaskill appeared on Monday's panel alongside Charlotte Howard, the Executive Editor for The Economist (middle-left), and David Gura, Anchor and Correspondent for Bloomberg News (middle-right), to discuss Trump's economy
'But they're not smart now because most of them are trying not to pay attention,' she concluded.
McCaskill's strong opinion was in response to Walmart recently declaring that prices were increasing as a result of Trump's tariff policy, a move that prompted sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle.
In response to the retailer's announcement, the president fired back on social media, claiming that Walmart should 'Eat the tariffs.'
The Wall Street Journal's editorial board released a blistering response to the president's statement, writing: 'Mr. Trump is trying to duck the political fallout for his misguided tariff policy by blaming everyone else. Americans are too smart to fall for it.'
One of Trump's key campaign points was increasing import tariffs for foreign nations, a plan that has generated intense backlash.
The president kept his word, taxing Canada and Mexico with a 25 percent tariff on the day he was sworn in.
On February 2, he announced reciprocal tariffs on all nations, but quickly instituted a 30-day pause after the stock market crashed.
Trump has now implemented a 10 percent tariff on nearly every country, with a 30 percent tax on Chinese imports.
McCaskill blamed the American people for electing Trump and claimed they would 'get smart' once the president's economic polices started impacting prices (Pictured in 2018 at a campaign rally)
The White House has repeatedly been questioned on the effectiveness of tariffs, with many economists predicting it will lead to a trade war and higher prices for American consumers.
The Trump administration has stood firm that other countries will feel the brunt of the tariff policy, and America will be rewarded with higher revenue.
At a press briefing on Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, 'He [Trump] maintains the position that foreign countries absorb these tariffs.'
Despite the White House's insistence, major retailers have still increased prices. Doug McMillon, the chief executive of Walmart, said on an earnings call that the company wouldn't be able to 'absorb' the financial pressure from Trump's tariffs for much longer.
'Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,' Trump responded on Truth Social.
'Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, “EAT THE TARIFFS,” and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!'
The former Democratic Senator wondered why Democrats weren't calling Trump a 'communist' after he directed Walmart to 'Eat the tariffs' and not raise prices which she likened to the way communist governments dictate private business
McCaskill said on MSNBC that the Democrats should be calling Trump a 'communist' for directing a privately owned company on how to run their business.
'That's called central government. That's called socialism/communism, and that's what he's basically saying.
'Walmart's whole business model is built on lower prices, they have no incentive to raise prices, they want to keep prices low, but they also need to make a profit,' McCaskill added.
She argued that Walmart had to raise prices since its products now cost more as a result of the tariffs.
The economic impact of the tariffs was even reflected in Moody's Ratings, a global credit rating company, which decreased the US' credit score last week.
