JONATHAN KARL: The president’s called President Xi a friend. He said the Chinese are proud people. Can you explain to me what the vice president was saying not long ago when he referred to the Chinese people as peasants? Let me — let me play the sound, so you can hear it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE: We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture. That is not a recipe for economic prosperity. It’s not a recipe for low prices, and it’s not a recipe for good jobs in the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: Did the vice president go off message there? I mean, he’s calling the Chinese peasants. This is something that we heard the — that the Chinese say was ignorant and disrespectful.
I mean, I haven’t heard Donald Trump talk that way about the Chinese.
LUTNICK: No, I’m just going to step back and really just leave…
