WASHINGTON—Howard Lutnick’s journey from Wall Street veteran to one of President Trump’s most hawkish trade advisers began with a speech at an October campaign rally at Madison Square Garden. Lutnick extolled the virtues of tariffs and argued that the duties could at least in part replace the U.

The billionaire Wall Street CEO fielded questions about tariffs, China's AI progress, broadband access, allegiance to Trump and the revival of American mining and semiconductor production.

Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commerce Department, offered a detailed defense of tariffs in his confirmation hearing, the clearest signal yet from a cabinet pick that the new administration is prepared to impose the levies on allies and adversaries alike.

President Donald Trump's nominee to run the Commerce Department, Howard Lutnick, said on Wednesday that he has advised Trump to impose across-the-board tariffs country-by-country to restore trade reciprocity and fairness.