Business mogul and “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary unleashed a fiery tirade during a live MSNBC segment with host José Díaz-Balart, calling for aggressive economic retaliation against China and suggesting that former President Donald Trump should implement a 1000% tariff on Chinese imports if re-elected.
O’Leary, never one to hold back, sharply criticized China’s trade practices, accusing the communist regime of manipulating global markets for far too long.
“The days of China manipulating the entire world need to end,” O’Leary declared. “Now is the time to settle this because we may not be the largest economy forever, but right now we can squeeze China to comply with the laws and get a level playing field.”
The investor went on to describe the economic and political consequences China faces when industries tied to exports collapse:
“When you shut down a factory, you put thousands, if not tens of thousands of people unemployed in China,” he explained. “They take burning torches just like in a Frankenstein movie up to the castle, and that’s a bad outcome for the supreme leader.”
O’Leary’s comments come amid renewed tensions between the U.S. and China over trade, cybersecurity, and geopolitical influence. His call for a dramatic 1000% tariff sparked immediate backlash from some analysts, who warned of potential global economic shockwaves, but others echoed his call for a tougher stance on China’s trade behavior.
Díaz-Balart pushed back during the segment, questioning the feasibility of such a drastic measure and warning of retaliatory moves that could harm American businesses and consumers. O’Leary, undeterred, maintained that only bold action would force China into compliance.
The fiery exchange quickly went viral on social media, with supporters praising O’Leary’s blunt style and critics labeling the proposed tariff policy as reckless and economically unsound.
