Dan DiMicco, former Trump campaign trade advisor, and Robert Holleyman, a deputy U.S. trade representative under Obama, actually agreed on Friday that China is the biggest trade cheater and must be stopped.

But how to actually achieve that goal is where things break down.

DiMicco, also former CEO of steelmaker Nucor, believes President Donald Trump's metals tariffs are a step in the right direction.

"The biggest culprit in the global steel overcapacity ... is China, China, China," DiMicco told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday. "They are out to destroy ... this country for numerous years throughout our history."

DiMicco said the tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum that Trump announced Thursday send a message to China and other nations, "We're open for business, but you better play fair."

"This is not something that should be a surprise to anybody," he added, pointing out that Trump campaigned on being tough on trade.

The narrative that the Trump tariffs won't really hurt China because it's such a small source of imported U.S. steel is false, said DiMicco, alleging as others have that China dumps its cheap steel through other countries.