(CNN) President Donald Trump said Saturday that the European Union's trade policies have "been brutal" to the United States, a sentiment he shared both online and in person after EU leaders condemned his recently announced 25% tariff on steel and 10% tariff on aluminum imports. "So, a lot of countries, and I won't be particular, but I will tell you the European Union -- brutal," Trump said at a lunch with donors at at Mar-a-Lago. The President also said the EU, which is comprised of 28 European countries, had "banded together in order to beat the United States in trade." At around noon on Saturday, Trump doubled down on his stance, tweeting "our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. Taking another hit at the EU, Trump tweeted about it again, this time suggesting that if the EU raises tariffs more, so too will the United States.

Source: CNN March 04, 2018 01:07 UTC