Trump: I Can Totally Make Companies Cut Off China

The Hill reports:



President Trump defended his declaration on Friday that American companies were “hereby ordered” to find alternatives to manufacturing in China, claiming that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act gave him the power to make such a pronouncement. Trump had previously cited the 1977 Act, which gives the president the power to regulate commerce during exceptional international crises, earlier Friday before departing for the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in France.

Claude Barfield, an expert in international trade policy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told The Hill that Trump doesn’t have any authorities to direct U.S. companies to move their businesses to the United States. He called the tweets a clear example of Trump “popping off” and predicted his advisers would look to do damage control, especially if his remarks negatively impact the stock market.