WATCH: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Says She’s ‘Not Very Focused’ On Dock Worker Strike

Gina Raimondo, the Biden-Harris administration’s commerce secretary, said on Monday that she is not “very focused” on the impending dock worker strike along the East Coast that could upend the economy.

Raimondo was asked about the strike during an appearance Monday on CNBC.

“Where have you been kind of focused and hearing on what would happen if the strike goes, let’s say longer than a week,” asked Becky Quick, co-host of CNBC’s Squawk Box.

“Again, I have not been very focused on that,” Raimondo responded.

About 45,000 dockworkers plan to walk off the job on Tuesday, hobbling the supply chain and throwing a wrench into the presidential election.

"I have not been very focused on that," Biden commerce secretary Gina Raimondo says about the upcoming dock worker strike that will choke off half of U.S. imports tomorrow

What exactly has she been focused on?pic.twitter.com/rl71mpfyBN

— Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) September 30, 2024

???? MUST WATCH: @JoeSquawk torches Harris surrogate Gina Raimondo:

You forgot the Trump tariffs were continued by Harris-Biden, there was no recession, real wages were up, the stock market did well, record low unemployment pre-pandemic — it's weird to act like he's a wildcard. pic.twitter.com/KTjELc8Dfa

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 30, 2024

The International Longshoremen’s Association will launch a massive strike if port ownership does not meet the union’s demands for higher wages and address their objections to port automation.

Depending on how long the strike lasts, Americans could see shortages and delays past the election and into the holiday season. Bananas, coffee, cocoa, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture, vehicles, and even Christmas decorations are among the products that will be affected.

Shortages could also cause price spikes just as Americans are recovering from years of high inflation.

Raimondo had more to say when she was criticizing a potential second Trump administration’s economic policies.

Raimondo called former President Donald Trump “erratic” and slammed the former president for saying he would implement more tariffs.

“He’s talking about a tariff on all imports. I mean that’s insane. That will raise prices of everything for everyone,” Raimondo said.

The CNBC anchor pointed out that Trump campaign surrogates have said Trump’s tariff threats are more of a negotiating tactic than a definite plan.

Raimondo also called Kamala Harris “smart and thoughtful” and defended the Biden administration’s economic record, saying the country has had a “featherbed landing” after the pandemic.

“We have had a soft landing. Inflation, we haven’t slayed it totally. It is on the way down. We need stability, predictability. And what you will have in him is unpredictable, chaotic, based on how he feels on a particular day,” she said.

“By the way, he was president. We know what that resulted in,” Raimondo said, at which point Joe Kernen, co-host of Squawk Box interjected.

“Seems like you kind of forgot that earlier,” Kernen told Raimondo. “The tariffs that he did put on were continued by the Biden administration. There was no recession. Real wages were actually up. Stock market did well. A lot of very positive things happened. Record low unemployment until the pandemic.”

“So it’s just weird to act like it’s a complete wild card what kind of president he would be when you’ve got a blueprint right there of what kind of president he would be,” Kernen continued. “And Kamala Harris has been vice president for four years, and we’ve seen what kind of vice president she would be.”