Trump doubles down on pipeline stupidity, threatens to double tariffs on South Korea
Donald Trump, refusing to admit he lied about South Korea promising to put up $54 billion to build the Alaska LNG project, is doubling down on stupid.
“If they don’t want to do it, that’s OK with me,” he told reporters outside the White House. “I’ll just charge ‘em more.”
“They said they didn’t sign?” Trump asked a reporter.
“Tell them if they don’t sign shortly, I’m gonna double it up. OK?” Trump said.
Just brilliant.
Trying to strong-arm South Korea to pay for one of the world’s most costly energy projects is never going to work. Insults won’t help. Trump is giving the South Koreans more reasons to distrust the project and the people pushing it.
Trump’s “double it up” claim appears to be a threat to doubling tariffs on South Korea if that country’s leaders don’t obey his commands and build the Alaska LNG project.
Trump invited Sen. Dan Sullivan , Rep. Nick Begich the Third and Gov. Mike Dunleavy to the Oval Office this week and lied that South Korea has pledged to invest $54 billion to build the pipeline. There was no one from South Korea present.
So much for the great “partnership” with South Korea.
The joint fact sheet released about the project by the U.S. and South Korea makes no mention of South Korean investing any money in the project. It simply says it will study it to decide its commercial viability.
Asked if he had jumped the gun in announcing Korea’s $54 billion, Trump said, “Well I didn’t jump the gun. I mean they were there and they were represented,” apparently referring to the negotiations about investing in the U.S. in exchange for lower tariffs.
Sullivan, Begich the Third, and Dunleavy praised Trump and his cabinet for getting $54 billion from the Koreans. They have repeated the lie many times since then.
It’s not clear if they were in on this scam to help boost the sagging fortunes of Sullivan or not.
Vice President J.D. Vance is now planning a campaign visit to Fairbanks Monday afternoon and will speak at the Omni Logistics hangar, the Alaska Beacon reported.
It will be interesting to see if Vance and the Alaska Republicans continue to repeat Trump’s lie about South Korea agreeing to pay $54 billion.
I want to credit the Alaska Beacon for being accurate in calling out Trump’s gas line lie. Some Alaska news organizations have failed to do so.
“Trump and administration officials said at the event that the nation of Korea was investing in the project, but that was a lie — Korea has only committed to reviews that could lead to an investment of some kind. Korean officials have since protested the administration’s statements at the event,” the Beacon reported.
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