A very interesting exchange on last night’s CNN NewsNight With Abby Phillip (AKA The Thunderdome) proved that a worthy argument can be undermined by an ineffective spokesperson. In this case, a point on the everyday effects of tariffs on imported goods that ended with Scott Jennings standing tall in defense of American snack foods.
Watch as CNN Business editor Richard Quest makes one of the weirder and tone-deaf arguments against tariffs to air on American cable television- you’ll pay more for high-end water:
THIS IS CINEMA: CNN Business editor Richard Quest trots out fancy fu-fu water and Australian snacks as examples of things that will spike with tariffs pic.twitter.com/0EL7bvxJ62
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) April 4, 2025
RICHARD QUEST: This was America’s investors and the world’s investors, if you look at other markets, basically saying they are terrified at the way in which the United States is unilaterally reworking the global trading system. I’ve got a couple of examples, if I may. Here we go. This is a bottle of San Pellegrino. Now, of course, there are plenty of U.S. domestic options as well. This is going to go up by 20% because it comes from Italy. Therefore, the E.U. If you want Fiji water- it’s a bit of a luxury product, it’s quite good. This is going to go up over 30% because of where it comes from. And good old fashioned Tim Tams from Australia.
ABBY PHILLIP: I see the package has been broken into, because they’re- they’re so good.
QUEST: This didn’t stand a chance. The Tim Tams of Australia, which is a wonderful biscuit, these are going to go up by 10% because they’re imported. Now, by the way, these just came from the- the deli across the street along with everything else. There are alternatives. But if you extrapolate all of this into all our individual products, the short answer to- the long answer to your short question: we’re all paying it.
How many working-class Americans regularly consume fu-fu drinking water from the pristine springs of Europe or Fiji? How many struggling Americans count on imported Australian biscuits, deliciousness notwithstanding, as a daily staple? Hearing Quest rant about these items, one is reminded about Barack Obama whining about the price of arugula (or Dr. Oz about crudités so save yourself your whatabouts) at a town hall event…IN IOWA. Whatever point Quest may have wanted to make about tariffs was undone by his tone-deaf execution.
This prompted conservative mainstay Scott Jennings to respond accordingly:
Scott Jennings strikes a blow for American snacks pic.twitter.com/NMVwgshpQN
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) April 4, 2025
SCOTT JENNINGS: One of the arguments the president is making is that it does actually make some sense to try to make some things in the United States that we outsource long ago, and I don’t know what you have against the Keebler elves of Battle Creek, Michigan, but I’ll take them. I’ll take them over your Tim Tams any day. They’re Americans. Are we trying to put them out? Are we trying to put them out of business over there, Richard? I don’t understand.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: I’ll pay good money- I’ll pay good money to charity to see you eat the chocolate biscuit.
JENNINGS: I’m sure it’s delicious. But it’s just not Keebler.
That exchange right there almost perfectly encapsulated the current discussion on trade. And then as now, the American stood tall- whether for manufacturing or, in the case of Jennings, the Keeble elves of Battle Creek, Michigan.
BONUS COVERAGE: Watch as Jennings pitches a remake of…SNOW WHITE
On tonight’s Thunderdome Nightcap, in honor of the Naked Gun trailer: proposed remakes. @ScottJenningsKY‘s? SNOW WHITE 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/SMQLxp0CHw
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) April 4, 2025
