Trump calls for famed Alcatraz prison to be reopened, expanded

During his town hall on NewsNation Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump joined by phone and fielded questions from the moderators, which mainly focused on the economy and the current status of his tariffs.

As Trump’s ever-changing tariff plans continued to impact the economy, he was asked when Americans should expect him to announce trade deals with countries such as South Korea and Japan, which the administration has said have been ongoing.

Trump said he's not in a hurry to make trade deals and that other countries need us more than we need them.

"Well, we have potential deals with that, yeah... I'll tell you this. I'm in less of a hurry than you are. We are sitting on the catbird seat. They want us. We don't need them," Trump said.

Asked if there’s been a perception problem with the tariffs he’s implemented, Trump said yes.

"Yeah, but I'm an honest guy, and I -- we have to save the country," Trump said during the town hall.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

Despite three Senate Republicans voting with Democrats on a resolution seeking to block Trump’s tariffs, the legislation failed to reach a simple majority.

Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats in supporting the measure, but Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky -- both backers of past Senate efforts to kneecap Trump’s tariff policies -- were notably absent for the vote, which was 49-49.

Whitehouse appeared to be en route back to the U.S. from South Korea. While the vote was ongoing, he said in a post on X that he was returning from the 10th Our Ocean Conference.

It’s unclear why McConnell was absent, but the senator’s team broadly affirmed his opposition to tariffs when asked about his vote.

“The Senator has been consistent in opposing tariffs and that a trade war is not in the best interest of American households and businesses. He believes that tariffs are a tax increase on everybody,” David Popp, a spokesperson for McConell told ABC News.

The resolution was expected to pass with the same razor-thin margins that an earlier bill, led by Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to repeal Trump's tariffs on Canada, passed earlier this month. That legislation had bipartisan support from the three Republicans who also backed tonight’s efforts and McConnell also voted for that bill.

-ABC News’ Isabella Walsh and Mariam Khan

ABC News' Selina Wang asked Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins if the administration would consider relief for farmers because of President Donald Trump's retaliatory tariffs on China.

Rollins said she hopes it doesn’t come to that, but she added that Trump would step in "if necessary."

"If necessary, this president will step in the gap. He's already did it once in the first term and will do it again," she said.

Farmers are being hit especially hard by China's retaliatory tariffs. China buys more soybeans from the U.S. than any other country, paying U.S. farmers nearly $13 billion last year.

During the first Trump administration, $28 billion was given to farmers because of Trump's trade war.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

While answering questions at the end of his Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump seemed to acknowledge the real impacts his trade war with China could have on Americans.

Trump has previously said that there would be disruptions, but for the first time, he acknowledged that many Americans might have to do with less as a result of the tariff standoff.

"They made $1 trillion with Biden, $1 trillion, even a $1.1 trillion, with Biden selling us stuff, much of it we don't need. You know, somebody said, 'Oh, the shelves are going to be open.' Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. You know, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally. But, we're not talking about something that we have to go out of our way," Trump said.

Trump argued that the result of the trade war will be worse for the Chinese, who rely on the U.S. as a market to sell their goods. Trump was asked whether he'd spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump said: "It'll happen."

Trump continued to insist that Americans don't need many of the goods that are imported from China.

"They have ships that are loaded up with stuff, much of which, not all of it, but much of which we don't need. And we have to make a fair deal. We've been ripped off by every country in the world. But China, I would say, is the leading, the leading one and the leading, candidate for the chief-ripper-offer," Trump said.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart