GOP senator admits he's 'concerned' about a Trump trade war: report

An Iowa Republican senator acknowledged he was "concerned" Tuesday about the threat of a trade war following inflammatory statements from Donald Trump, but downplayed the president-elect's comments as merely a "negotiating tool."

Trump on Monday on all impo and a on goods from . The move is meant to stem the flow of drugs coming over the border and illegal border crossings.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday called the threats a "negotiating tool," Politico reported. Even so, he admitted feeling apprehensive about the prospect of a trade war.

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“I think you got to see it as a negotiating tool,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday morning, according to the report.

However, he said he felt "concerned about the potential of it,” when asked whether he was worried about a trade war.

“But right now, I see everything that Trump's doing on tariffs as a negotiating tool,” he insisted. “And we'll have to wait and see how successful he is about that.”