Byron Donalds says U.S. will ‘continue to go down the line’ with Donald Trump on tariffs

There’s no daylight between gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and President Donald Trump on the game of brinkmanship the White House is playing on global trade.

“We’re going to continue to go down the line with President Trump here,” the Naples Republican said on the Fox Business Network’s “Varney and Co.” regarding Trump’s tariff regime.

“Everybody knows that China not only has cheated in any trade negotiation that’s ever actually any deal that’s ever occurred, but they also cheat when it comes to actually going through the proper channels on how trade is supposed to be handled. For far too long they’ve taken advantage of sweetheart deals given by previous administrations and other countries in the world. President Trump is saying, simply, we’re not playing that game anymore.”

Donalds, a Naples Republican endorsed by Trump in the 2026 Governor’s race, believes Trump and his team are “doing a great job” in pushing China into a response that creates “a balanced playing field when it comes to trade internationally.

“China has to actually come to the table, not continue to ratchet up tariffs,” Donalds said.

Indeed, tariffs are high on both sides. China imposed an 84% duty on American imports, while the U.S. is charging a 104% surcharge on goods from the Asian power.

Donalds also enthused about the European Union’s willingness to make a deal, saying it didn’t sound like they were drawing a “hard line” but wanted to “come to the table and negotiate.”

Trump has imposed 20% tariffs on EU imports and a 25% surcharge on automobile imports. Many U.S. goods are impracticable for Europe, compounding the problem. Domestic food does not meet global standards, and America’s famously oversized trucks and SUVs are too big for European roads.

POLITICO reports that the EU is looking to phase in countermeasures, even as the bloc considers removing industrial tariffs on American goods.

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