Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Wednesday at a forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation and the Washington Examiner that the trade agenda pushed by the Trump administration was facing opposition from people inside the White House, but did not identify the individuals.
“I know their staff,” said Manchin, a lawmaker who broadly supports the administration on trade issues. “I know there are people pushing back.”
Manchin said that while officials like U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were fighting hard for the president’s agenda, “There are others I have concerns about.”
Earlier in the event, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said he doesn’t “know what the Republican party is right now” in regard to trade, especially given the White House “has not been very clear about what its plans are with China.”
