Biden Triples Down On Major Trump Policy After Criticizing It During 2020 Campaign

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he would raise tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) imported into the U.S. from China — a Trump-era policy he criticized during his 2020 campaign.

The heightened tariffs were crafted to make it difficult for China to produce cheaper green energy products that risk displacing American companies and flooding the U.S. market. Aside from EVs, the Biden administration beefed up tariffs on Chinese steel, computer chips, EV batteries and certain solar components, according to a White House fact sheet.

Presumptive 2024 Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump slammed Biden for waiting three years to increase tariffs on China outside his Manhattan trial early Tuesday, saying that Biden “should have done that a long time ago.”

President Trump: “[Biden] wants to put a big tariff on China…where have you been for three and a half years? He should have done that a long time ago.”

“With [Biden’s] EV mandate, they’re going to be made in China….and also in Mexico owned by China.”pic.twitter.com/gauuCGC3yE

— GOP (@GOP) May 14, 2024

Trump has been a frequent critic of offshoring induced by Biden’s EV policies. The former president faced backlash in March after he riffed at a campaign rally that an economic “bloodbath” would ensue in the U.S. if countries like Mexico and China continue to financially benefit from Biden’s EV policies. (RELATED: ‘It’s Stormy Or Bust’: Bill Maher Claims Trump Prosecutors ‘Blew It At Every Turn’)

Biden previously ripped on Trump’s tariffs against China during his 2020 campaign. The Democratic politician said that “the cashiers at Target” must “know more about economics than Trump” in a June 2019 social media post claiming China was not paying Trump’s tariffs.

Trump doesn’t get the basics. He thinks his tariffs are being paid by China. Any freshman econ student could tell you that the American people are paying his tariffs.

The cashiers at Target see what’s going on – they know more about economics than Trump. #TeamJoe

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 11, 2019

NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Biden how he would “make China pay” during the second 2020 presidential debate in Oct. 2020. Biden spoke about flying through “air identification zones” before pivoting to Trump.

“He embraces guys like — the thugs like in North Korea, and the Chinese president, and Putin and others, and he pokes his finger in the eye of all of our friends, all of our allies,” he said.

Welker attempted to switch topics to North Korea before Trump stopped her to attack Biden over his Democratic opponent’s alleged foreign business deals and influence peddling in countries such as China.

Trump told the NBC moderator that China was paying “billions and billions of dollars,” which Biden remarked was “taxpayers’ money.”

“It’s what?” Trump asked.

“Taxpayers’ money,” Biden repeated.

“No, no, no. The taxpayers, it’s called China,” Trump retorted. “China paid $28 billion and you know what they did to pay it, Joe? They devalued their currency and they also paid up. And you know who got the money? Our farmers. Our great farmers because they were targeted. You never charged them anything.”