‘Like air for him’: Senior White House advisor says Trump ‘loves’ tariff trade wars

A White House win was not without a negative angle as CNN harped on insider commentary regarding tariffs and trade negotiations.

“He just loves this sh*t.”

(Video Credit: CNN)

Closing out the week with an upward trajectory, the stock market rollercoaster had responded positively to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries while isolating China. Joined by CNN White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny on “Inside Politics,” anchor Dana Bash raised an adviser’s quote on leverage being like “air” for the president while contending Americans were “gasping for oxygen.”

After touting the “really great reporting” from corporate media figures at the White House, Bash sought to address the tone inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue when she said, “… you talk about speaking to senior White House advisers about how Trump is feeling right now. One in particular said the following, said, ‘He just loves this sh*t.’ That’s a quote. ‘Talking deals with the most powerful people in the world when he’s got all the cards and leverage is like air for him.’”

“I mean ‘air for him,’ but certainly I’m not sure if air is — or maybe it’s more the gasping for oxygen that a lot of consumers are feeling and Americans are feeling right now,” added the host.

“Without a doubt,” began Zeleny’s response. “And this is one of the challenges and one of the things that if you talk to economists, you talk to Republicans who really want this administration to succeed, they wonder at the end of this week, what is the president thinking?”

“What is he doing? What is this self-inflicted wounds actually leading to? But that story, as you mentioned, really indicates the team of economic rivals that are guiding the president on this,” he went on as senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk had a public spat over navigating trade.

“We’ve seen it play out in real time all week long. I think when we look back at this week we will see that the bookend of the people you see on your screen there, Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, he clearly was warning the president to find an off-ramp on this. Peter Navarro clearly was wanting the president to hold firm,” continued Zeleny. “But we’re not at the end of the trade negotiations or tariff negotiations. We’re at the beginning of a brand new chapter. That 90-day pause means until July 8. So circle that date on your calendar, all the advice from these advisers and others, who the president listens to between now and then, will certainly play a key role going forward in how this all works out.”

Supporting the adviser’s reported remarks, Trump had reveled in China’s response to tariffs being raised to 125% as the communist nation announced, among other things, a reduction in imported American films.

“I think I’ve heard of worse things,” responded the president with laughter.

Likewise, as the stock market climbed after Trump announced his pause, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized of the difference in leadership between the current commander-in-chief and past presidents.

“He creates his own leverage and negotiates deals better than anyone else who has sat in the Oval Office before him.”

Past American Presidents just willingly accepted the failed status quo on trade that ripped off our workers and companies.

But that’s not who President Trump is.

He creates his own leverage and negotiates deals better than anyone else. pic.twitter.com/CXKwb7lRtA

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 11, 2025