Chinese producers will absorb ‘the cost’: Donald Trump contradicts himself on tariffs, as White House press secretary rewrites history

At a White House briefing, CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang did what many journalists attempt but few accomplish: catching the Donald Trump camp in a full-blown economic faceplant.

With a single well-aimed question, Jiang exposed the latest contradiction in Trumpworld’s favorite fairy tale—that tariffs are a magic weapon against China with no cost to Americans. Spoiler alert: Someone always pays.

Let them “eat tariffs!” not cake

Jiang asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to reconcile President Trump’s weekend social media tantrum, where he demanded that Walmart “EAT THE TARIFFS” and not raise prices, with the administration’s ongoing claim that Chinese producers would be footing the bill. Seems like a basic economic question, right? Apparently not.

Leavitt responded with a straight face: “The president has always maintained that Chinese producers will be absorbing the cost of these tariffs.” She added that’s why “China was so quick to hustle to the negotiating table.”

Trump to Walmart: Stop whining

To be clear, Trump literally just posted on Truth Social that Walmart, a quintessential American company, should eat the cost of his tariffs and not pass anything on to their “valued customers.” He also accused the retail giant of blaming tariffs for price hikes, saying they made “BILLIONS OF DOLLARS” and should stop whining. (Who knew running a multinational retail operation was as simple as “just absorb it”?)

Leavitt tried to brush off the CEO of Walmart—yes, the Walmart—as some panicky Cassandra on an earnings call. “I believe [CEOs] are legally obligated to give the most dire warnings and forecasts,” she said, with the kind of dismissive tone usually reserved for Reddit conspiracy theorists, not Fortune 100 executives.

Unfortunately for the press secretary, the facts are a little more grounded in reality than that. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon made it crystal clear: “We aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.” Translation? Tariffs cost money, and that money’s coming from somewhere—and it’s not Xi Jinping’s wallet.

Scott Bessent: Some tariff costs “may get passed on to consumers”

If Leavitt’s line sounded shaky, that’s because it is. Even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, trying to sound reasonable on CNN, broke from the party line: “Some may get passed on to consumers.” No kidding, Scott.

The Trump administration is trying to have it both ways—claiming China will pay while publicly scolding American corporations for not picking up the tab. That’s not economics, that’s gaslighting.

And let’s be honest, telling Walmart to eat the tariffs while insisting China is the one actually paying is like yelling at your Uber driver to “absorb the gas prices” while insisting the oil companies are covering the ride. It’s absurd—and voters know it.

This kind of message whiplash isn’t just bad policy; it’s terrible politics. Inflation fatigue is real, and Americans don’t have time for economic cosplay. If Trump wants to sell tariffs as a winning strategy, his team needs to pick a lane: either tariffs hurt China, or they hurt consumers. Telling us it’s both—and neither—won’t fly.

Leavitt’s revisionist spin might satisfy the MAGA faithful, but for everyone else watching Monday’s exchange, the contradictions were loud and clear. Trump’s bluster, Walmart’s reality check, and Leavitt’s attempt to straddle the two are a textbook case of political doublethink.

Bottom line: If Chinese producers are “absorbing the cost,” someone forgot to tell Walmart, the Treasury Department, and basic supply chain math. And while Trump may keep rewriting his economic history, at least one reporter in the briefing room came armed with receipts. Stay tuned—because if tariffs are Trump’s 2025 economic plan, the price tag might be a lot more than anyone in the White House press room is willing to admit.