President Trump on Wednesday disputed that his repeated threats of tariffs followed by exemptions or backtracking was not a case of inconsistency, but of “flexibility,” even as the approach has rattled financial markets.

“There’s no inconsistency,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I have the right to adjust.”

The president recounted his decision to exempt car parts from tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month after the big three U.S. automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — reached out to raise concerns.

“And I’m not like a block that just, ‘I won’t delay.’ It’s called flexibility, it’s not called inconsistency,” Trump........

© The Hill