'Doesn't Even Seem To Care': Chuck Schumer Slams Trump Over Damage Brought On By Tariffs

Forbes Breaking News

At a press briefing on Monday, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about President Trump's tariffs.

Transcript

00:00All right, it's great to be here, and I just want to acknowledge all the people who are here, who I had the pleasure of meeting.

00:06First, my colleagues, Senators Klobuchar, Markey, and Smith, small business owners from across the country.

00:13We have Dominic Pernomo, owner of Yono's Restaurant in Albany, New York.

00:17I've had the pleasure of being there and seeing what a great job he does.

00:22We have Beth Benecke, founder and CEO of Busy Baby in Zumbrota.

00:26Zumbrota.

00:28Zumbrota.

00:28Zumbrota, that's an interesting name.

00:35We have Amy Leinbach, the owner of Big B and Little B in Caesar Park, Texas.

00:43We have T.J. Samanshin, CEO and owner of Wonder State Coffee in Madison, Wisconsin.

00:50We have Andrea Deutsch, owner of Spots, the place for pause in Pennsylvania.

00:55That's P-A-W-S.

00:57So they don't think you're resting, you know, pause.

01:02Joanna Hellrigal from Washington, D.C.

01:08We have Ivy Mix from, oh, Joanna's restaurant or business is called Ama.

01:15Did I say it right?

01:15She may not be here, so no one will correct me.

01:20We have Ivy Mix, Leanda, it's a business in New York City.

01:25We have Vicki Lee Parker High, North Carolina Sustainable Business Council.

01:30We have Holliswell Silverman, the Eastern Point Collective.

01:33And we have Richard Trent of the Main Street Alliance.

01:37He's the Executive Director.

01:38So we have a lot of small businesses represented here.

01:42And you know why.

01:44Because they're hurting.

01:46As all the folks behind me know all too well, President Trump's trade war is economic arson

01:56on our Main Streets.

01:57President Trump's trade war is economic arson on Main Street, and these folks are getting

02:03scorched.

02:05Trump's tariff taxes, jacking up prices, smashing supply chains, forcing small shops to raise

02:11costs, lay off people, or worse yet, close their doors altogether.

02:15While Trump has been busy helping the billionaires, Main Street pays the price.

02:22While Trump has let mega corporations, CEOs, and his donors have his ear on exemptions when

02:28they want relief from tariffs, small business owners have been left out to draw.

02:34You're a big business.

02:35You can knock on the White House, go and say, I need an exemption, I need this, and Trump goes

02:38along.

02:39These people don't have bad access to the White House.

02:42And Trump doesn't even seem to care.

02:46So, today, Senate Democrats are showing America the faces, businesses, and communities impacted

02:53by Trump's devastating trade war.

02:58He's had a bad tax war, too.

03:00Today, Senator Markey will announce legislation that I'm proud to co-sponsor to exempt small

03:06businesses from the President's destructive tariffs.

03:09Protecting small businesses shouldn't be a partisan issue.

03:14It's a national priority.

03:15And let's not forget, the 35 million small businesses in America employ 59 million people.

03:22That's about half the private sector jobs in the country are in businesses like those

03:27depicted here.

03:29Small businesses play a significant role.

03:31They're even more needed in rural communities.

03:33And there, they account for about 54% of rural workers.

03:39They're the backbone of our economy.

03:41Yet, right now, they're bending over backwards to make ends meet, to not charge their customers

03:47more, to not lay off employers.

03:49That's the dilemma they're all faced with.

03:5172% of small businesses say erratic tariff policies create, quote, a whiplash effect, disrupting

03:59planning and long-term decisions.

04:01In that way, small businesses and big businesses are alike.

04:05They can't plan unless they have certainty.

04:07They can't make that order that will come in three months from now if they think no one,

04:11the price is going to go way up.

04:1381% of small businesses say, thanks to President Trump's tariff tax, they would be forced to

04:22raise prices for consumers, and many indicated they would lay off employees as a direct result

04:28of increased costs.

04:31I've visited many small businesses from one end of the state to the other, and you should

04:35see the anguish on the faces of these small business people.

04:39They have put their whole souls, their blood, sweat, and tears into building these businesses,

04:44into creating a team of employees, and now they're either going to have to charge their

04:49dear customers, who they love, more, or lay off employees, who they cherish.

04:57It's an awful decision, an unnecessary decision.

05:01Already, employment at the smallest of small businesses has declined by 3%.

05:07We've lost 366,000 jobs since Trump took office in these businesses, and not only did Trump

05:14put them in an awful spot, he's clueless to the real-world ramifications.

05:20He was asked yesterday by Welker about small business.

05:26Trump highlighted, incorrectly I might add, how wonderful tariffs are for big businesses,

05:32and how he doesn't care one iota about the concerns of small businesses, or American families suffering

05:45from high prices.

05:46He just didn't care.

05:47He went on bragging about himself.

05:49I watched the clip.

05:50When asked if he's considering relief for small businesses, Trump said, quote, they're not

05:56going to need it.

05:58He was condescending and dismissive.

06:00Well, tell the folks behind me that they're not going to need it, President Trump.

06:07Senate Republicans had a chance last week to stop Trump's trade war, but instead, they

06:14stood with him.

06:16We are giving them another chance now by working with us to take up the Small Business Liberation

06:22Act.

06:22Senate Republicans' refusal to stop this trade war makes them complicit as Donald Trump in

06:31hurting these businesses and millions more across the country.

06:35Small businesses are the backbone of this country.

06:39It's time for Senate Republicans to grow a backbone and defend small businesses.

06:44We are going to have a good time.

06:45We are going to have a good time.

06:46We are going to have a good time.

06:47We are going to have a good time.

06:48We are going to have a good time.

06:49We are going to have a good time.

06:50We are going to have a good time.

06:51We are going to have a good time.

06:52We are going to have a good time.

06:53We are going to have a good time.

06:54We are going to have a good time.

06:55We are going to have a good time.

06:56We are going to have a good time.

06:57We are going to have a good time.

06:58We are going to have a good time.

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