Biden thankful for smooth transition of power, urges Trump to 'rethink' tariffs on Canada and Mexico
President Biden on Thanksgiving said he was thankful that the transition of power to a second Trump administration has gone smoothly, while urging the incoming commander-in-chief to "rethink" threats to impose steep tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods.
"I hope that [President-elect Trump] rethinks it. I think it's a counterproductive thing to do," Biden told reporters Thursday on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was spending the holiday with family. "We're surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Oceans and two allies — Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships. I think that we got them in a good place."
Earlier this week, Trump vowed to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada in an effort to get both nations to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the U.S. Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on Wednesday, and both apparently came to an understanding, he said.
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"She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!"
Trump also threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on China. Biden said Chinese President Xi Jinping "doesn't want to make a mistake."
"I am not saying he is our best buddy, but he understands what's at stake," he said.
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President Biden also said Thursday that illegal border crossings have been "down considerably" since Trump's first term in office. Trump heavily campaigned on the border crisis that exploded after Biden took office.
The president also said he was pleased with the cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon and that he was "very, very happy" about China releasing three Americans who were "wrongfully detained" for several years.
Regarding the transition from his presidency to a second Trump administration, Biden said he wants the process to occur without any hiccups.
"I want to make sure it goes smoothly. And all the talk about what he is going to do and not do, I think that maybe it is a little bit of internal reckoning on his part," he said.