(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday memorializing his plan to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico.
“This is the beginning of making America rich again,” Trump told reporters as he signed the document.
“Our allies and enemies expected this,” he said regarding the tariffs. “We don’t want it to hurt other countries.”
Trump previously said that the steel and aluminum tariffs would impact “everybody” when asked what countries would be affected.
Trump also reaffirmed that he would announce “reciprocal tariffs” later this week, which would mean the U.S. would impose import duties on products in cases in which another country has levied duties on U.S. goods.
Trump pardons former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich
“It’s my honor to do it. I’ve watched him. He was set up by a lot of bad people,” Trump told reporters. The ex-Illinois governor was convicted in 2011 for public corruption charges.
When asked whether he’s considered appointing Blogolevich to ambassador of Serbia, Trump said, “No, but I would.”
Blagojevich was released from federal prison in Colorado in Feb. 2020 after then-President Trump commuted his sentence halfway through its 14 years.
He spoke to NewsNation local affiliate WGN the night he was released at the airport, telling reporters, “I’m profoundly grateful to Trump. It’s a profound and everlasting gratitude.”
Trump signs plastic straw, international business orders
Other Oval Office actions included the 47th president signing an executive order related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it “unlawful for a U.S. person or company to offer, pay, or promise to pay money or anything of value to any foreign official” for business purposes.
Trump told media his order is “going to mean a lot more business for America.”
The president also tackled bringing back plastic straws, saying that paper straws “don’t work.”
“I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode,” Trump said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.