Mar 12, 2025 - Economy

Lutnick: Trump's tariffs are "worth it," even if they trigger a recession

Rebecca Falconer

President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremonial swearing-in for US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick (R) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 21, 2025. — President Trump and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in the Oval Office of the White House last month. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday called President Trump's economic policies "the most important thing America has ever had."

The big picture: Concerns are building that the Trump administration's tariffs might trigger a recession and CBS News' Nancy Cordes asked Lutnick whether the policies would "be worth it if they lead to a recession, even a short-term recession."

Zoom in: Lutnick replied that the policies would be "worth it."

He added: "The only reason there could possibly be a recession is because the Biden nonsense that we had to live with. These policies produce revenues. They produce growth. They produce factories being built here."

Flashback: Lutnick said on NBC News Sunday, "There's going to be no recession in America. ... I would never bet on recession. No chance."

Representatives for the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Trump sees "period of transition" as recession fears rise

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Lutnick: Trump's tariffs are "worth it," even if they trigger a recession

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