Pressed by Karl about Trump’s recent criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Hassett echoed the White House’s criticism of recent cost overruns in the renovation of the Fed’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.

The exchange with the South American nation suggests the U.S. president also sees trade as a tool to influence other policies of foreign countries.

President Donald Trump sent out a slew of letters Wednesday to some global trading partners, advising them of tariff levels as high as 50% for their exports to the United States.