Trump to move fast on tariffs, says Wall Street firm, citing clients who met with ex-trade chief

• Former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is apparently telling Wall Street money managers that if the Republican presidential nominee is reelected, he could start implementing his sweeping tariff proposals quickly after taking office, according to policy analysts at Piper Sandler.
• Trump claims his sweeping tariffs will rake in enough money to pay for an array of major tax cuts and other intitiatives.
• Lighthizer is seen as a top prospect for a number of senior roles in a potential second Trump administration.

Donald Trump's longtime trade adviser is apparently telling Wall Street money managers that if the Republican presidential nominee is reelected, he could start implementing his sweeping tariff proposals quickly after taking office, according to policy analysts at Piper Sandler.

"We've heard from a number of clients that Trump's former US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, has been meeting with investor groups and telling them that Trump could announce 60% Chinese tariffs and 10% across-the-board tariffs shortly after taking office," wrote the trio of research analysts at the investment bank in a note Friday.

Asked about the note, Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny that Lighthizer has been meeting with investors. But she cautioned, "No policy should be deemed official unless it comes from President Trump directly."

It was not immediately clear which groups have spoken with Lighthizer, and the Piper Sandler analysts did not reply to a request from CNBC for more details. But clients of the firm would likely be large asset management firms that pay for its stock and economic research.

Lighthizer is advising Trump's presidential campaign on economic issues, according to Inside