A 29-year-old video of Rep. Nancy Pelosi is going viral for echoing a message now at the core of President Donald Trump's trade policy.
In the 1996 clip, Pelosi criticizes U.S. trade practices with China and calls for measures that are noticeably similar to the very tariffs she now opposes.
What Happened: The clip shows Pelosi delivering a House floor speech, where she urged Congress to tackle China's high tariffs on American goods.
She said that while Chinese imports faced only a 2% U.S. tariff, American exports to China were dealt with an average 35% tariff. "Is that reciprocal?" she asked, calling the trade relationship "a job loser" that created millions of jobs in China while creating far fewer in the U.S.
See Also: Gold Surges Above $3,300 To Record High As US-China Trade War Escalates With 245% Tariff
Why It Matters: The resurfaced video comes as China's total tariffs have reached as high as 245% on specific goods, including a 125% reciprocal duty, an additional 20% connected with the fentanyl crisis, and targeted levies ranging from 7.5% to 100% on specific goods, according to the latest reports from the White House.
Pelosi, who is now opposed to Trump's tariff policies, wrote earlier this month on X: "Trump's reckless tariffs will cause chaos… raise prices… and hurt hardworking American families."
Like Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders also once pushed for protectionist policies in a 2008 Senate speech. In a response statement to Fox News, his team said that Sanders supports targeted tariffs but warned that Trump's sweeping measures would drive up expenses for consumers.
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