Foreign pool report #2 - Hassett

National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett spoke at the sticks a short time ago. Some quotes.

On potential tariffs on Colombia:

We’ll see. Right now there’s no announcement forthcoming.

On potential tariffs in Spain for not lifting defence spending:

I’m not working on that matter. The White House is working on that, hopefully negotiating a happy ending with our European colleagues.

On today’s Australian visit and decoupling/de-risking from China:

I don’t think the president believes that decoupling is the right answer. As Secretary Bessent says it’s all about de-risking.

Australia is really, really going to be helpful in the effort to take the global economy and make it less risky, less exposed to the kind of rare earth extortion that we’re seeing from the Chinese.

One of the best mining economies on earth and the smartest and most capable refiners are in Australia and they’ve got lots and lots of rare earths. I think there’ll be a lot of conversation about that matter today.

On the shutdown:

Moderate Democrats are perhaps free now to open up the economy now that we’ve had the No Kings rally. There’s going to be a real reckoning. We’ll have to watch and see.

It’s our position that nobody should shut the government down … This idea that you should do everything you can to stop President Trump from governing is something that the Democrats need to lose.

Michael Koziol

North America correspondent, Washington DC

The Sydney Morning Herald The Age

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