CSPAN - Washington Journal Rep. Tony Wied R-WI
Aired: 2026-02-25
Duration: 08:56


=== President's Economic Strategy (08:56) ===

[00:00:00]  Looking at in the future.
[00:00:21]  Later today, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer gives her final State of the State address in front of Michigan's House and Senate, where she'll lay out her budget plan and other priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
[00:00:35]  Watch her speech live at 7 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, and online at c-span.org.
[00:00:48]  As promised, one more member of Congress to join us to give their perspective.
[00:00:52]  Representative Tony Weed, Republican of Wisconsin, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Agriculture and Small Business Committee.
[00:01:00]  Representative, good morning.
[00:01:02]  Hey, good morning.
[00:01:03]  A golden age is how the president described it.
[00:01:05]  Would you agree with that totally?
[00:01:07]  Are there places where you may disagree?
[00:01:09]  How would you parse that?
[00:01:10]  Oh, we are at a golden age.
[00:01:12]  I think President Trump delivered an amazing State of the Union, certainly my favorite State of the Union address, and really talked about the victories of our country in bringing it back.
[00:01:22]  You know, whether that's safer communities because we now have a border.
[00:01:27]  Certainly during the last administration, over 20 million people that came across our border, and we saw what that brings with crime and drugs.
[00:01:34]  And look, I mean, overdose deaths are way down.
[00:01:37]  Crime is way down.
[00:01:39]  Having a border works.
[00:01:41]  And also putting more money back into people's pockets.
[00:01:44]  And right now, with people doing their tax returns, people are seeing more money in their pockets, increased child care tax credit.
[00:01:52]  We have no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security.
[00:01:57]  And then also, if you buy an American car, you can actually deduct the interest.
[00:02:02]  Look, the economy is booming.
[00:02:04]  It's going to continue to boom.
[00:02:05]  We have a president that is focused on doing what is best for everyday Americans.
[00:02:11]  I thought it was an amazing speech.
[00:02:13]  It's been a historic 13 months, and I'm very proud of our president.
[00:02:16]  When it comes to the matters of the economy, some people highlight the fact that you mentioned jobs, 181,000 jobs created in 2025, even though that number's bumped up.
[00:02:28]  What do you see in what people are analyzing as far as what the economy is versus what the president says it is?
[00:02:34]  Well, I think we've added a lot of jobs.
[00:02:37]  I mean, reports show over 600,000.
[00:02:39]  And I think something to really keep in mind is that we're not adding government jobs.
[00:02:43]  We have less people working for our government.
[00:02:45]  Our government is completely bloated.
[00:02:47]  All of the jobs are coming in the private sector.
[00:02:50]  It's time that we reindustrialize our great country and really ignite our manufacturing base.
[00:02:57]  And that's what the president is focused on.
[00:02:59]  That's what House Republicans are focused on is incentivizing manufacturers to bring products and make them right here in the United States.
[00:03:08]  We're focused on Americans working in the private sector, and we're focused on higher-paying jobs.
[00:03:13]  And again, I think we're moving in the right direction.
[00:03:15]  When it comes to how people are receiving it, there were polls leading up, and we referenced this with your fellow Republican earlier of this program, Glenn Grothman, about polling showing not so satisfactory marks when it comes to the president and the handling of the economy.
[00:03:29]  With midterms looming, do you think there's better messaging that needs to be done by the party?
[00:03:34]  Well, it takes time.
[00:03:35]  I think it was a total disaster during the Biden administration.
[00:03:38]  We saw 40-year record highs in inflation.
[00:03:41]  Inflation is a tax that hurts the poor and the middle class more than anybody.
[00:03:46]  And here we now have inflation that is drastically reduced in the 2% range.
[00:03:51]  I mean, that is amazing.
[00:03:52]  Just look at the price of fuel.
[00:03:55]  It's cut in half.
[00:03:56]  You know, in my hometown in northeastern Wisconsin, we're under $2.50 a gallon.
[00:04:02]  That is money back into people's pockets.
[00:04:05]  We're just getting started.
[00:04:06]  It's only been 13 months, but it's been an historic 13 months.
[00:04:10]  And again, this economy is going to continue to roar.
[00:04:12]  I mean, another thing to look at is the stock market, your 401ks, your savings accounts, you know, through your employer.
[00:04:19]  I mean, at record highs.
[00:04:20]  So we're going to continue to focus on the economy and do what's right for everyday Americans.
[00:04:25]  Representative Wheat, the president highlighted the Supreme Court's decision last night when it comes to tariffs.
[00:04:31]  What did you think of that decision, particularly as you serve on the Agriculture Committee?
[00:04:35]  And I suppose that's one of those industries that really get impacted by such a thing.
[00:04:40]  Well, look, tariffs, we're getting, you know, we're the ones on the raw end of the deal with other countries that have been charging us outrageous tariffs.
[00:04:49]  And if you look in the agriculture industry in particular and dairy, Canada is taking advantage of us.
[00:04:55]  The president is using tariffs as a way I call them smart tariffs to really negotiate free and fair trade, use it as leverage for the economy so that we have more exports.
[00:05:05]  I think that's really important.
[00:05:07]  But that's not to mention also the geopolitical, using it as a way to reduce and end wars, over seven wars using tariffs as leverage.
[00:05:16]  So again, I think he's doing the right thing, utilizing different tools to be able to use those tariffs, again, as leverage to do what's best for our country and to grow our economy and make us safer and more secure.
[00:05:28]  What did you think of the Supreme Court's decision on tariffs?
[00:05:31]  They disagreed on some of those fronts when it comes to how the president used that IEPA as it's known.
[00:05:36]  Well, look, I don't agree.
[00:05:38]  I think that's their decision.
[00:05:40]  I think it was the wrong decision.
[00:05:41]  I think it brings more uncertainty.
[00:05:42]  We need certainty right now.
[00:05:44]  The president is working towards certainty with negotiating these trade deals around the world.
[00:05:50]  And I think it's unfortunate.
[00:05:51]  But again, I think there are other tools.
[00:05:54]  Tariffs, again, can be used as a great tool.
[00:05:56]  The president's using them, again, to grow our economy, to do what's right for our country, rather than paying for other countries to industrialize.
[00:06:05]  We need to get our manufacturing base on fire here and to really grow it.
[00:06:10]  And that's exactly what he's doing.
[00:06:12]  What do you think about the potential for Congress to codify some of these things and put it into law, which some have said the Congress should do from the get-go?
[00:06:20]  Yeah, well, I'd be in favor of that.
[00:06:22]  Unfortunately, Congress moves slow with a very slim majority.
[00:06:26]  That's why I believe that the president's doing the right thing and utilizing the tools at his disposal, again, in order to do what's right for our country.
[00:06:34]  When it comes to matters of we've been asking Republicans and Democrats along the line as far as this partial shutdown when it comes to the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats saying that the president won't change certain things when it comes to ICE, Republicans saying it's those things that keeping funding going.
[00:06:50]  What's the resolve in your mind?
[00:06:52]  Well, I think it's just purely political.
[00:06:54]  I think it's that radical far-left ideology of the Democrat Party for members of Congress to try to win primary elections and to win elections.
[00:07:03]  I think it's absolutely ridiculous that they would not pay our great TSA agents, which keep us safe, you know, for those that are flying, to not fund FEMA, not to pay our Coast Guard.
[00:07:15]  I don't know why these far-left Democrats continue to hold the great people that are in those agencies and those agencies hostage for their own political gain.
[00:07:26]  Immigration and custom enforcement has been doing a great job over the years.
[00:07:30]  If you look at the Obama administration, that same agency, ICE, Immigration, Custom Enforcement, deported millions of people without incident, without protest.
[00:07:40]  I don't know what's changed.
[00:07:41]  Your background includes operating gas stations and operating several little Caesars restaurants.
[00:07:48]  As far as the president's economic program going forward, what would you say to the small business person like yourself who's looking for the president to make changes in the following three years?
[00:07:58]  Well, if I was in business, I would be excited.
[00:08:00]  I was excited when I had my small business during the first Trump administration just looking at the tax policy.
[00:08:06]  But right now, there's hope.
[00:08:07]  There's hope for small businesses.
[00:08:08]  We want people to earn more.
[00:08:10]  We want businesses to do better.
[00:08:12]  That is the engine of our economy.
[00:08:14]  But with the great tax policy, but also reducing regulations so that the government gets out of the way, lets job creators do what they need to do and to really grow our economy.
[00:08:24]  So we're doing all the right things.
[00:08:26]  We have the right policies.
[00:08:28]  And I'm looking forward to keeping this momentum throughout this next year.
[00:08:31]  Wisconsin Republican Tony We joining us as far as reaction to the State of the Union.
[00:08:36]  Representative, thanks for your time.
[00:08:38]  Thank you.
[00:08:40]  We're getting reaction to the State of the Union from members of Congress.
[00:08:43]  Representative Tim Kennedy, Democrat from New York, member of the Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Committees, serves the 26th District of New York.
[00:08:51]  Representative Kennedy, good morning.
[00:08:53]  Morning, Pedro.
[00:08:54]  What was the takeaway from last night?