President Trump Withdraws Support For G-7 Joint Statement Following Remarks From Trudeau
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – President Donald Trump talked tough with six leaders from the world's leading economic powers Saturday.
At times, it appeared the G-7 summit was really the G-6 against the United States, CBS News' Weijia Jiang reported. But the president insisted that's not true.
He said he just wants what's fair for America.
"No tariffs, no barriers. That's the way it should be," Trump said, demanding the U.S.'s top trading partners end all tariffs.
"We're like the piggy bank that everybody's robbing," he added. "It's going to stop, or we'll stop trading with them."
The president warned America would win any trade war if they tried to retaliate against new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
"We win that war a thousand times out of a thousand," he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not intimidated, Jiang reported. Canada will move ahead with new trade tariffs on July 1.
"Applying equivalent tariffs to the ones that the Americans have unjustly applied to us," said Trudeau.
Trump tweeted that it was that press conference that caused him to instruct U.S. representatives not to sign a joint statement vowing to work on easing trade barriers.
"Based on Justin's false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!" he wrote.
"PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, "US Tariffs were kind of insulting" and he "will not be pushed around." Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!" a second tweet read.
Despite all of the tough talk, the president insists he got along with all the other world leaders in the summit. Instead, he blamed trade deficits on his predecessors.
"I would say the relationship is a 10, and I don't blame them. I blame, as I said, I blame our past leaders for allowing this to happen," he said.
Also Saturday, Trump repeated his view that Russia should be readmitted to the summit, despite its annexation of Crimea four years ago.
Now, Trump is heading to Singapore where he plans to sit down for a face-to-face meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He said it won't take long to determine if Kim is serious about denuclearization.
"How long it will take to figure out whether or not they're serious? I said maybe in the first minute," he told reporters.
The summit is scheduled to begin Tuesday.