President Donald Trump will take all the credit if his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs bring manufacturing stateside and give the U.S. economy a boost.
But if the economic pain is stronger than the gain, some members of Trumpworld have already started planting the seeds when it comes to a fall guy.
In mid-March, Politico published a story pointing fingers at Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
‘He’s trying to be a mini-Trump. I don’t think he got the memo that only Trump gets to be Trump,’ a source close to the administration said of Lutnick. ‘It just reinforces that he doesn’t really know how to do the job.’
The source also said that Lutnick is ‘constantly auditioning for Trump’s approval.’
Sources also told the news outlet that Lutnick’s recent television appearances showed that he lacked a basic understanding of how the economy worked and how tariffs would impact it.
Lutnick, the former head of Cantor Fitzgerald, also gave a rosier economic picture than he was supposed to.
He said in March on Meet the Press that Americans should ‘absolutely not’ brace for a recession.
FALL GUY? Ahead of ‘Liberation Day’ Wednesday, unnamed sources told Politico that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (pictured) is to blame for some of the White House’s mixed messaging on tariffs
President Donald Trump (left) shows off a newly signed executive order alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (right). Lutnick’s Wall Street roots – at the helm of the firm Cantor Fitzgerald – have made some in the MAGAverse skeptical of him
Lutnick’s interview aired shortly before Trump, in a pre-taped conversation with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, wouldn’t rule out a recession.
Trump has acknowledged that his tariffs could create some short term economic pain for consumers but argued the import taxes would help the U.S. in the longterm.
‘Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,’ Trump said during his joint address to Congress in early March.
‘There will be a little disturbance, but we’re OK with that,’ Trump added. ‘It won’t be much.’
Trump insiders may be more willing to talk negatively about Lutnick because his Wall Street roots don’t necessarily gel with the pro-tariff crowd.
Trump’s longtime trade adviser, Peter Navarro, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are considered to be more solid, true believers.
‘Every member of the Trump administration is aligned on finally leveling the playing field for American industries and workers,’ White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to DailyMail.com Tuesday afternoon.
The White House had been asked if Trump continued to have confidence in Lutnick.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (right) heads toward Marine One on Friday, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (left) and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (center). They hitched a ride with President Donald Trump to Mar-a-Lago
‘President Trump has assembled the best and brightest trade team in modern American history to reignite American Greatness, and they are hard at work following the same playbook,’ Desai added.
It’s clear that Trump has great affection for Lutnick.
At his swearing-in ceremony in late February, Trump, again told Lutnick’s September 11, 2001 story – how Lutnick wasn’t in the North Tower because he was taking his son Kyle to school.
‘You should leave him more than the other kids,’ Trump joked.
Cantor Fitzgerald horrifically 658 of its 960 New York-based employees in the terror attacks and Howard lost his younger brother Gary.
During Lutnick’s swearing-in, Trump also teased him for previously being a Democrat.
In turn, Lutnick called Trump ‘the smartest, most thoughtful and most intuitive person I’ve ever met.’
‘And it is really it’s amazing to be in this room and to work for him,’ the Commerce Secretary said.
