Chuck: I’m with Trump

(Only on China)

President Trump and Sen. Chuck Schumer feuded Sunday over the North Korean summit and a mangled adage — but found common ground on the president’s recently announced tariffs against Chinese goods.

In an early tweet, Trump had lashed out at the Democratic leader for downplaying the significance of his Singapore meeting with Kim Jong-un and questioned his use of language.

“Chuck Schumer said ‘the Summit was what the Texans call all cattle and no hat.’ Thank you Chuck, but are you sure you got that right?” Trump wrote. “No more nuclear testing or rockets flying all over the place, blew up launch sites. Hostages already back, hero remains coming home & much more!”

The president was referring to comments Schumer made last week in a speech on the chamber’s floor about Trump’s meeting with Kim. The correct phrase is: “All hat and no cattle.”

Schumer shot back later, saying it’s one thing to bungle an expression and another to make false claims about ending the threat of nuclear attack from North Korea.

“Better to screw up a phrase then to screw up the negotiations,” he said. “North Korea still has nuclear weapons. North Korea still has ICBMs. And North Korea still has a leader who is very erratic. We are not safe.”

But the New York natives were like-minded when it came to Trump’s decision last week to slap tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products.

“Not only do they steal our intellectual property, they keep our good companies out and say the only way you’re going to be able to sell your American products in China . . . is if you come to China, make them there, and give us the techniques and intellectual property,” Schumer told John Catsimatidis on his AM-970 radio show.

Schumer said he urged Trump to take the action three weeks ago.

“It’s going to take a little bit of toughness at the beginning. China will bark back,” Schumer said. “But they need us more than we need them — President Trump is right about that — and we should be strong. So I thought what he did on China is right.”

After the White House announced it would impose the tariffs on China beginning July 6, Beijing immediately said it would put penalties on $50 billion worth of US goods in retaliation.

But while he stood by Trump on China, he warned the president about “making war” with US allies like Canada.

“Making war with all the allies, particularly Canada . . . makes less sense,” Schumer said. “We should focus on China, they’re the ones hurting us.”