U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed at a recent event that President Donald Trump's tariffs have not impacted consumers, but audience members quickly challenged him for spreading the administration's false narrative.
"Seriously, for the month of May, every product in the world got 10% on it—right now with no exceptions, no exclusions," the billionaire-turned-politician claimed during a conversation with Mike Allen at Axios' "Building the Future" event in Washington on Wednesday.
"Do any of you feel anything? Because I want you to understand in the month of May, the United States of America is going to take in $35 billion towards our deficit of tariff revenue in the month of May," Lutnick continued in a clip circulating on X.
"It's not that the tariff is coming; it's on. Have any of you felt any of it? Seriously?" he prompted.
"Yes," audience members quickly responded. Lutnick, meanwhile, looked on in silence.
Lutnick: You go to the store now, are you feeling the pain of tariffs? No, because there is no pain. Do any of you feel anything? Seriously.
— Fozon Capital (@FozonCapital) May 22, 2025
Audience: Yespic.twitter.com/rSxu3cFcPy
I've never seen a more delicious ratio owning by an audience than the one at the Axios Town Hall.
"I've never seen a more delicious ratio owning by an audience than the one at the Axios Town Hall," one X user wrote.
Throughout the interview, Lutnick touted upcoming international trade deals he claimed would be finalized by mid-summer, while insisting that retail prices would remain unaffected, Axios reported.
Contrary to Lutnick's repeated assertion, S&P Global reported early data indicated "the overall rise in prices charged for goods and services in May was the steepest since August 2022, which is indicative of consumer price inflation moving sharply higher."
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