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White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow came out on television again Friday to try to calm fears on the escalating tariff situation with China, maintaining for the second time this week that the U.S. is not in a trade war, negotiations are still in the works, and that China is to blame — not President Trump.

"We are considering adding tariff pressures. Considering. ... I don't want to disrupt the economy. The president doesn't want to disrupt the economy ... This a moderate, temperate approach we are taking ... this is not a trade war."

Larry Kudlow to Bloomberg's Jonathan Ferro

Kudlow tries to calm trade war fears for the second time this week

He maintains that the U.S. is not in a trade war, negotiations are still in the works, and that China is to blame — not President Trump.

Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, speaks to reporters outside the White House. Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images

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Larry Kudlow

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<p>White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow came out on television again Friday to try to calm fears on the escalating tariff situation with China, maintaining <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="for the second time this week" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/larry-kudlow-trump-trade-war-china-29404eb6-5957-4c07-ade8-eb280e5f07b7.html" data-vars-content-id="eab7aa79-47f0-4093-b1f7-8399749ffbc8" data-vars-headline="Kudlow tries to calm trade war fears for the second time this week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/larry-kudlow-trump-trade-war-china-29404eb6-5957-4c07-ade8-eb280e5f07b7.html" target="_self">for the second time this week</a> that the U.S. is not in a trade war, negotiations are still in the works, and that China is to blame — not President Trump.</p><blockquote>&quot;We are considering adding tariff pressures. Considering. ... I don&#x27;t want to disrupt the economy. The president doesn&#x27;t want to disrupt the economy ... This a moderate, temperate approach we are taking ... this is not a trade war.&quot;</blockquote><cite>— Larry Kudlow to Bloomberg&#x27;s Jonathan Ferro</cite><span data-ad-status="NO_AD_LENGTH" data-ad-type="midStoryAd"></span>

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Kudlow tries to calm trade war fears for the second time this week

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