Donald Trump brushed off concerns about plummeting port traffic and job insecurity among dockworkers, calling the slowdown "a good thing" because "we lose less money."
Since imposing broad tariffs and engaging in aggressive trade negotiations with China, Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. was being taken advantage of in global trade.
Despite expert warnings about the risks of reduced imports and exports, Trump argued that cutting ties with foreign markets would ultimately benefit the U.S. economy.
REPORTER: But we're seeing as a result that ports here in the US, the traffic has really slowed and now thousands of dockworkers are truck drivers are worried about their jobs
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 8, 2025
TRUMP: That means we lose less money ... when you say it slowed down, that's a good thing, not a bad… pic.twitter.com/6nW5CG6IFY
At a press briefing on Thursday, the President responded to a question about slowed port activity by downplaying the economic fallout, stating that reduced trade means the U.S. "loses less money."
"That means we lose less money, you know? When I see that, that means we lose less money ... when you say it slowed down, that's a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump said.
He falsely claimed China had been making over $1 trillion annually off the U.S. and argued the country would be "better off" not doing business with them at all.
Trump's comments come as U.S. ports—including those in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Seattle—report significant declines in shipping traffic, with some locations seeing as much as a 44% drop compared to the previous year.
Dockworkers and truck drivers have expressed growing anxiety over job stability as vessel activity dries up.
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