Right-wing media appear not to be fully aligned with President Donald Trump’s framing of his tariffs. After announcing tariffs on Canada, Me
Torri Lonergan at MMFA:
Right-wing media appear not to be fully aligned with President Donald Trump’s framing of his tariffs. After announcing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, Trump administration officials tried to claim this was the start of a “drug war” rather than a trade war, insisting that Trump imposed the tariffs to combat fentanyl trafficking. However, some right-wing media figures have acknowledged that Trump’s tariffs are a tactic in a trade war that is hurting the economy.
The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted its tariffs are part of a drug war, not a trade war
On March 4, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. The administration said the tariffs were intended to combat “the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl into the United States.” Trump complained that both countries have “allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens” and said the tariffs will continue until the fentanyl crisis “stops, or is seriously limited.” Trump also imposed a 20% tariff on imports from China using the same rationale. [White House, 2/1/25, 3/3/25; Associated Press, 3/4/25, 3/5/25; Truth Social, 2/27/25; Tax Foundation, 3/7/25]
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox’s Martha MacCallum, “This is not a trade war. It’s a drug war.” Hassett complained that Canada is “not trying hard enough” to prevent fentanyl trafficking and claimed that’s why tariffs were implemented. [Fox News, The Story with Martha MacCallum, 3/4/25]
On Fox, Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro insisted, “It’s a drug war, not a trade war.” Navarro reiterated this point to Politico and CNN and while speaking to reporters outside the White House. [Fox News, America Reports, 2/3/25; Politico, 2/4/25; CNN, The Situation Room, 3/5/25; C-SPAN, 2/3/25]
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg, “This is not a trade war. This is a drug war.” Lutnick made the same argument on Fox Business, Fox News, and CNBC, insisting the tariffs are about fentanyl deaths rather than trade policy. [Bloomberg, 3/5/25; Fox Business, Kudlow, 3/4/25; Fox News, America Reports, 3/5/25; CNBC, Squawk Box, 3/4/25]
Fox News helped amplify Trump's “drug war” narrative. The Trump administration’s propagandist allies at Fox News were initially helpful in rebranding the unnecessary trade war against America’s neighbors as a necessary step in a “drug war” against fentanyl while the administration spread misinformation about the crisis. [Media Matters, 3/5/25]
While U.S. officials have claimed this is a “drug war,” both Canadian and Mexican leaders have labeled it a “trade war.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada “will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated, “We don’t want to enter into a trade war.” [Reuters, 3/6/25; The New York Times, 3/4/25]
Fox Business anchor Liz Claman said, “We have a trade war. Let’s just call it what it is.” Claman questioned how long “the people of America will remain patient, especially when they may have checked in on their 401(k)s at the worst points of the session today and really gulped and got worried, especially people who are close to retirement.” [Fox Business, The Claman Countdown, 3/4/25]
Fox anchor John Roberts said, “It could be that there’s a little bit of a trade war brewing between the United States and Canada.” [Fox News, America Reports, 3/4/25]
Newsmax host Rob Schmitt reported, “Trump's commerce secretary says this trade war will likely be over before it really even begins.” Schmitt also noted that “tariffs are freaking out Wall Street.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 3/4/25]
One America News’ Pearson Sharp predicted that China is “probably prepared to go higher” on reciprocal tariffs in response to “the trade war.” Sharp also said China “didn’t think this was about fentanyl. They thought this was about the trade deficit, and they thought that maybe these things should be separate issues, and we should work on the trade deficit and not use the fentanyl as — what they said — an excuse to address it.” [One America News, The Matt Gaetz Show, 3/5/25]
Certain right-wing media personalities have admitted that Donald Trump’s so-called “drug war” is really a trade war, especially towards China, Canada, and Mexico.












