Kevin O’Leary, the straight-talking investor from Shark Tank, is fed up with China’s cheating. He’s backing President Trump’s tough tariffs, saying they’re the only way to protect American jobs and stop China from stealing our ideas. O’Leary wants even higher tariffs—up to 400%—to force China to play fair. He argues that decades of weak leadership let China get away with stealing technology and breaking trade rules. Now, he says, it’s time to fight back.
O’Leary doesn’t mince words. He calls China’s government a thief that steals American inventions and sells cheap knockoffs back to us. Small businesses get crushed when their products are copied overseas. He’s seen it happen time and again. For him, Trump’s tariffs are a long-overdue wake-up call. Even if prices go up temporarily, O’Leary says it’s worth it to save American jobs and innovation.
China has cheated since joining the World Trade Organization in 2000, according to O’Leary. They ignore rules, block U.S. companies, and steal intellectual property. Previous presidents did nothing. But Trump’s tariffs finally hit China where it hurts—their economy. O’Leary says America holds all the cards because China needs our market more than we need theirs. Without access to U.S. consumers, Chinese factories shut down, and their leaders face unrest.
The investor wants maximum pressure. He suggests slapping 400% tariffs overnight to force China’s president to the negotiating table. O’Leary believes China’s government only cares about keeping people employed. If tariffs cause mass layoffs, their leaders will have no choice but to deal. He’s tired of watching American ideas get stolen and sold back to us. For him, this is about survival, not politics.
Some worry tariffs will hurt everyday Americans. O’Leary admits prices might rise short-term, but he calls it a small price to pay. Letting China keep cheating would be far worse. He points to stolen patents, copied products, and unfair trade practices that have drained U.S. wealth for years. Trump’s tariffs, he argues, are the first real effort to stop the bleeding.
Conservatives applaud O’Leary’s tough stance. They see tariffs as a tool to rebuild American manufacturing and punish China’s bullying. For too long, globalists in both parties let China exploit our markets. Now, a businessman like O’Leary is standing with Trump to put America first. It’s a message that resonates with workers tired of seeing jobs shipped overseas.
Critics call the tariffs reckless, but O’Leary fires back. He says China’s theft costs trillions and threatens our future. Every day we wait, they steal more. He praises Trump for ignoring the “expert” class that enabled China’s rise. Real leadership means taking heat to fix long-term problems. O’Leary would rather stomach temporary chaos than let China keep winning.
The bottom line? O’Leary thinks America is finally fighting back—and winning. With Trump’s tariffs, we’re leveraging our economic power to force fairness. China’s days of ripping us off are numbered. For conservatives, this isn’t just about trade. It’s about reclaiming American pride and protecting the next generation from being outworked and outsold by a cheating regime.