Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said Tuesday that President-elect Trump’s tariffs “will definitely bring Mexico to the table” to address immigration and fentanyl issues.

“If that means a 25 percent tariff to potentially fix the border, would you support that?” NewsNation’s Blake Burman asked Cuellar in an interview on The Hill.

“Well, let me put it this way: Laredo is the largest port; We handle 40 percent of all trade between the United States and Mexico. I know this is a way to negotiate and gain influence. I know Mexico will come to the table,” Cuellar responded.

“But nobody wants a 25 percent tariff on them, and the Mexicans are threatening to do the same, and we don’t want to get involved in that,” he continued. “But I think this will definitely bring Mexico to the table so we can solve the problem of immigration and fentanyl.”

On Monday, Trump said he would issue an executive order early in his next term imposing new tariffs on Chinese, Canadian and Mexican goods.

The president-elect said in posts on Truth Social that he would impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods while also imposing an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. According to Trump, the aim of the tariffs is to pressure countries to increase their efforts to secure borders and combat fentanyl exports to the USA

“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to simply resolve this long-simmering issue. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until then it is time for them to pay a very high price!” Trump said on Truth Social.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) criticized Trump’s tariff threats on Tuesday, saying he believes “the president-elect has failed to really deal with the practical consequences.”

“I think he’s headed for a real horror show, the consequences of which cannot be reconciled with the promises he made,” Blumenthal added during an appearance on CNN. “For example, cutting government spending while preserving Medicare and Medicaid.”

The Hill has reached out to the Mexican government for comment.

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