A former Clinton adviser lauded President Trump's EU trade trip as an absolute success, and said the Europeans "came scrambling" for a deal.
After 2 Way Morning Meeting Host Mark Halperin asked former Hillary Clinton and Jared Polis adviser Dan Turrentine if he deemed President Trump's European trade trip, in which the president and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a landmark trade deal at his Scotland golf course, a success, the longtime Democratic consultant replied "absolutely."
"Absolutely, we're gonna get to trade here," Turrentine said Monday, though he qualified his praise by claiming that we still don't know the details of the trade deal.
Trump and Von der Leyen announced the deal at his Trump Turnberry golf club Sunday. The deal stipulates that there will be 15% tariffs on EU goods, while goods such as steel, aluminum and copper will continue to be taxed at 50%. The deal also states that the EU will invest $600 billion into the U.S. economy and buy $750 billion worth of American energy by 2028, per a statement put out by the White House.
BACK FROM SCOTLAND, TRUMP ENTERS CRUCIAL TRADE WEEK AND EYES FED'S DECISION ON RATE CUTS
Trump touted the agreement as the "biggest deal ever made." Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hailed the deal as a "monster" win for the United States after it was announced.
"They agreed for the first time ever to cut all their tariffs, cut their barriers and let American businesses and farmers and ranchers and fishermen, finally, sell into the European Union… massive market. This is huge for America," Lutnick told Bret Baier Monday.
Turrentine said that not just the deal itself, but the fact that it was announced at the president's golf course showed that Trump emerged from the trade negotiations with the upper hand. Trump has long had friction with Europe, accusing the EU of ripping off the U.S. on trade and NATO countries of not contributing their fair share.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
"The Europeans came scrambling to him, and it does sound like the Europeans badly wanted a deal," Turrentine said. "Whether it was the German automakers frantic because they want to sell cars here, or French luxury good-makers talking about declining sales, the Europeans wanted a deal."
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou slammed the deal as "submission" and said the announcement was a "dark day" in a post on X.
"It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission," Bayrou wrote.
Trump's trade announcement comes on the heels of a string of successful trade negotiations with the UK, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Though critics contend that the president's tariff policy will spike inflation and depress growth, so far inflation is down from its Biden-era peaks and the economy grew 3% last quarter. However, citing the country's "obnoxious" trade barriers and business with Russia, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on India. Turrentine said that Trump's trade blitz represents a "new world order" for international commerce.
