Overview
- During an Oval Office exchange prompted by a question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, the president claimed China could withhold magnets and halt production of cars, electronics, and other goods.
- He asserted that China holds a magnet monopoly built over decades and touted tariffs as leverage, framing the outcome as an “unbelievable deal.”
- Journalists noted that tariffs are paid by importers and typically passed to consumers, contradicting his statement that China is paying the tariffs.
- He repeated the “nobody knows what a magnet is” line in a Fox News interview the same night, extending a pattern of comments reflecting confusion about magnetism.
- Coverage recalled prior remarks in which he wrongly said water would end a magnet’s function and referenced recent reports that China has eased some rules on processed rare earths since last month’s engagement with Xi Jinping.