Three Key Takeaways:
- Kevin O’Leary stunned CNN’s Laura Coates by demanding President Trump impose a drastic 400% tariff on Chinese goods, citing China’s long history of economic abuses, including intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices.
- O’Leary, drawing from his personal business experience in China, argued that the Chinese government has never abided by international trade rules and that aggressive tariffs are necessary to level the playing field.
- Despite concerns over potential higher prices for American consumers, O’Leary insists that the pain would be temporary and that such bold action is necessary to force Chinese President Xi Jinping into negotiating a fair deal.
CNN hosts have been melting down since Donald Trump’s election victory.
But one popular TV personality just gave them a rude awakening.
And Kevin O’Leary left CNN’s Laura Coates speechless when he demanded Trump take this shocking action against China.
O’Leary demands Trump quadruple tariffs on China to 400%
Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary pulled no punches during a fiery appearance on CNN where he called for President Donald Trump to impose a staggering 400% tariff on Chinese goods.
The bombshell demand came during an interview with CNN host Laura Coates on Tuesday night, leaving the host visibly stunned.
“104% tariffs on China are not enough, I’m advocating 400%,” O’Leary declared without hesitation. “I do business in China. They don’t play by the rules.”
O’Leary, who has extensive business dealings in China, unleashed a scathing indictment of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic practices.
“They’ve been in the WTO for decades. They have never abided by any of the rules they agreed to when they came in for decades,” O’Leary continued. “They cheat. They steal. They steal IP. I can’t litigate in their courts. They take product technology. They steal it. They manufacture it, sell it back here.”
The shark’s comments left Coates visibly stunned, prompting her to ask incredulously: “400% tariffs? What would that look like?”
O’Leary praises Trump for finally standing up to Chinese theft
O’Leary didn’t back down, instead doubling down on his call for President Trump to take unprecedented action against the Chinese regime.
“I want Xi on an airplane to Washington to level the playing field,” O’Leary shot back. “This is not about tariffs anymore. Nobody has taken on China yet. Not the Europeans. No administration for decades.”
The business mogul made it clear he was speaking from personal experience, not just theory.
“As someone who actually does business there, I’ve had enough. I speak for millions of Americans who have IP that have been stolen by the Chinese,” he explained.
O’Leary took care to distinguish between his issues with the Chinese government and the Chinese people themselves.
“I have nothing against the Chinese people. They brought great literacy, art, and tech to the world. The government cheats and steals,” he clarified.
Then came the money quote that left Coates speechless – a full-throated endorsement of President Trump’s tough stance on China.
“And finally, an administration – you may not like Trump, you may not like his style or his rhetoric. But finally, an administration that puts up and says: Enough!”
O’Leary reveals how Trump can force Xi Jinping to cave
The Shark Tank star then explained exactly why his dramatic tariff proposal would work – by targeting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s grip on power.
“Xi can only stay the supreme leader if people are employed,” O’Leary revealed. “If we wipe out any business there because we are still 39% of all consumables on earth and 25% of the world’s GDP, America is the number one economy on earth, with all the cards.”
O’Leary warned that America’s economic leverage won’t last forever, making Trump’s second term the perfect time to strike.
“We will not have that forever. It’s time to squeeze Chinese heads into the wall now,” he insisted.
When Coates attempted to push back by suggesting American consumers might suffer from higher prices, O’Leary brushed off the concern as “short-lived” pain.
The CNN host pressed further, saying: “But what’s your timeline compared to – you don’t know the average American’s timeline, what they can actually survive.”
O’Leary’s response was as blunt as it was confident: “Four hundred percent tomorrow morning. Xi is on an airplane to Washington to cut a deal.”
The exchange highlighted the growing support for President Trump’s aggressive stance toward China as more Americans recognize the decades of economic abuse by the Chinese Communist Party.
While establishment politicians and media figures have criticized Trump’s tariffs, business leaders like O’Leary who actually deal with China are increasingly vocal about the need for even tougher measures.
Trump has promised to continue his America First economic policies in his second term, with a particular focus on addressing the massive trade imbalance with China.
