U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen says tariffs being imposed by President Donald Trump's administration are "pure presidential politics."
Bredesen, a Democrat and a former Tennessee governor, spoke with reporters Monday after meeting with officials at Memphis Bioworks Foundation, an organization for creating companies and investment in bioscience. He is seen as the leading Democrat in the race to replace Sen. Bob Corker, who is not seeking re-election.
The Trump administration is clashing with trading partners around the world, imposing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, provoking retaliation from close U.S. allies including the European Union, Canada and Mexico.
Bredesen says the tariffs will hurt farmers and automakers in Tennessee. He says Trump is "playing to Ohio and to Pennsylvania," steel-producing states that could be key battlegrounds in the 2020 election.
