White House press secretary Caroline Levitt appeared reassuring about investor concerns in an interview with CNN on Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump announced tariffs of at least 10% on imports from all countries.

“To everyone on Wall Street this morning, I would say: trust President Trump,” Levitt said. “This is a president who has been reinforcing a proven economic strategy since his first term.”

Responding to questions about the international trade community’s reactions, Levitt defended the decision: “This is a common-sense policy. If these countries wanted to negotiate, if they wanted to do the right thing, they have had 70 years to do so. Instead, they robbed American workers. President Trump has been clear: this policy will be implemented.”

“It’s not a negotiation, it’s a national imperative.”

When asked if there is a possibility that Trump could revise or delay implementation of the tariffs until the weekend, the spokeswoman responded flatly, “The president made it clear yesterday that this is non-negotiable. This is a national emergency. He is always willing to pick up the phone, but he adequately explained yesterday why we are moving forward.”

Asked about the possibility that the tariff strategy could violate an article of the NATO treaty, Levitt said the president “is firm in his approach” and will not revisit it.

Encouragement to “buy American products”

The White House spokeswoman urged Americans to support domestic production, saying, “Buy American.” At the same time, she acknowledged that some citizens may feel the impact of the tariffs, and said the administration is working on ways to absorb the costs.

“We are working on this every day. Americans and those who question this policy need to look at the overall government approach that the current administration is taking to the economy,” he said.