Trump Official Insisting ‘You Can’t Fight a War Without’ American-Made Steel Sparks Fears of Potential War: ‘What War Are They Planning?’

Social media users were left with dread after a senior Trump administration official insisted that tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum are necessary as those materials need to be produced locally in order for the U.S. to be able to fight a war.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick testified in front of a Senate committee on Wednesday, defending the Trump administration’s implementation of tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum.

“The big issue is, you can’t fight a war without steel and aluminum production in America,” Lutnick said in response to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who questioned whether or not President Donald Trump consulted the Pentagon before raising such tariffs.

“If you don’t have the ability to make your own steel and aluminum, you can’t fight a war, and that is what the president’s doing. He’s trying to make sure that we make sufficient steel and aluminum to protect our defense,” he continued.

“Which I certainly support,” Shaheen said, to which Lutnick replied, “Sounds like we exactly agree.”

“But I don’t agree on the way it’s been done,” Shaheen responded, “because we’re not going to have the steel that we need immediately to provide the supplies that we need immediately. So we need to do a little better planning before we put in place those kinds of tariffs.”

Social media users responded fearfully at Lutnick’s insinuation that the nation needed to be prepared to fight a war.

“What war are they planning to start?” questioned one user.

“The ‘peace’ administration prepping for war,” said another.

“Welp he said the quiet part out loud. The admin thinks they are preparing us for the next world war (which they will most likely start). I wonder when they will start mulling a draft,” one user wrote.

“Lutnick: If you don’t have the ability to make your own steel and aluminum, you can’t fight a war. And that is what the president is doing,” another user summarized. “Is there a specific date when the president is taking us to war? I need to update my calendar.”

Trump raised the tariffs upon foreign produced steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, CBS News reported.

Originally published on Latin Times