Press Secy. Leavitt Hits Back At Pelosi Over Resurfaced 1996 Video Amid China Tariff Debate – One America News Network

OAN Staff Abril Elfi 
5:40 PM – Tuesday, April 8, 2025

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt threw shade at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, highlighting previous comments that the liberal former Congresswoman has made about tariffs. 

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Leavitt cited Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) previous position on tariffs, notably the United States’ trade deficit with communist China, from nearly 30 years ago — arguing that she should be delighted with the Trump administration’s “retaliatory tariff” imposed on China.

In a recently resurfaced video from 1996, Pelosi stood on the House floor and explained her reasons for retaliating against China economically, including the fact that China imposed an average tariff of 35% on all goods imported from the United States and only allowed about 2% of US exports to cross the border into the country. In exchange, the United States had imposed only a 2% tariff on Chinese imports and permitted one-third of the items manufactured in China to be imported. As a result of the gap, 10,000,000 Chinese jobs were supported by imports from the United States, while only 170,000 American jobs were supported by Chinese trade. That, she added, was an untenable “status quo.”

“On this day, your member of Congress could have drawn the line to say to the President of the United States, do something about this U.S.-China trade relationship is a job loser for the United States,” she said at the time.

During the briefing, Leavitt referenced the clip and perked up, saying: “Nancy Pelosi said, ‘How far does China have to go? How much more oppression? How big is the trade deficit? How many jobs have to be lost for the American workers? How much dangerous proliferation has to exist before members of this House of Representatives will say, ‘I will not endorse the status quo?’”

“Well, President Trump is finally answering her call,” Leavitt continued. “Nancy Pelosi can thank President Trump today for the 104% retaliatory tariff that will be going into effect on China.”