Tariffs Aim to Boost Military, AI Manufacturing—Not T-Shirts: Trump

President Donald Trump said on May 25 that his tariff policy plans are designed to bolster U.S. military and technology manufacturing, not apparel. Last month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a White House press briefing that the administration is focused on “the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past.” “We don’t necessarily need to have a booming textile industry,” Bessent told reporters. “But we do want to have precision manufacturing and bring that back.” Trump echoed these comments over the weekend. Before boarding Air Force One in New Jersey on May 25, the president agreed with Bessent that the U.S. economy does not need to increase production of sneakers and T-shirts....