Former Trump economic adviser calls tariffs a ‘sledgehammer’

President Trump’s former economic adviser Stephen Moore likened the administration’s newly announced tariffs to a “sledgehammer.”

Moore joined CNN on Thursday, just a day after Trump announced a 10 percent general tariff on all imports to the U.S. and targeted tariffs on dozens of other countries around the world.

“I’m not a big fan of tariffs to begin with. I am a big fan of Donald Trump, but I do think he is a master negotiator, and I think at the end of the day, he is going to negotiate lower tariffs around the world,” Moore said.

“So, that’s something I think we can all applaud, but it is a bit of a sledgehammer here,” he added.

Moore was highlighting the appeals various countries impacted by Trump’s tariffs may make to the U.S. in order to ease up on the trade restrictions.

Strategists have warned that Trump will likely receive a number of calls from countries looking to be exempt from the tariffs.

While the effects of the tariffs are only in the early stages, markets around the globe have dropped in response to the concern and uncertainty due to the new trade war.

Under Trump’s new plan, China will face an effective tariff rate as high as 54 percent, the highest of any country. Still, Moore said he wished the president placed a higher tariff on the country.

“I would have really liked to concentrate on two things. I think, first of all, China cheats and steals and is a real dang to the world economy. So, we should have really hit China first,” Moore said.

“And then second of all, I do think that Trump’s idea of reciprocity with tariffs, especially big countries that we trade with, is the appropriate response,” he added, backing his former boss.

Moore served as an economic adviser for Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

While he noted that the tariff plan is a “sledgehammer” that is shaking things up internationally, he backed Trump’s idea to level the playing field with trade partners.

Still, he argued the manufacturing jobs the administration wants to bring back to the U.S. will be obsolete in several years with the advancement of technology.

“The United States should really focus on the high value added jobs, not jobs that may not even be around in 10 or 15 years,” Moore said.