Trump’s Love for Tariffs

Rochelle Tanujoyo | The Hankyoreh

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Trump and his love for tariffs have been seen for years. Now in his second term, Trump is using tariffs against China to prevent the US from getting “ripped off”.

During a Press Conference, after a question about his tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump answered, “America is great because of Tariffs”.

Trump professed his love of tariffs multiple times, claiming tariffs were “bringing in billions, if not trillions, for the American economy”, that they “lowered all the prices,” and finally that “they protect American businesses”. Trump’s aggressive tariffs have been a hallmark of his presidency. In his first term, Trump signed a memorandum to apply tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. Now in his second term, Trump has made a comeback, with a renewed determination to apply tariffs.

Tariffs, however, are nothing but trouble for the US. The $81.4 billion the US government is expected to collect comes from each American consumer buying goods from countries that the US imports from. Not only do tariffs make international goods more expensive, but they also incentivise domestic companies to raise their prices just under the prices of international goods. This is because domestic companies want to remain a cheaper, more attractive option and maximise earnings.

This calls into question his campaign promise of making goods more affordable for Americans and his slogan, “Make America Great Again”. Is a more expensive and unaffordable America greater? The impact of the tariffs is combined with the affordability crisis in the US, with costs of essentials rising, and more than half of the population living paycheck to paycheck.

Trump’s failure to understand the mechanics of tariffs and his episode of dozing off in the middle of the press conference exemplify how unqualified he is to lead the US. During the press conference, when a reporter was raising a question Trump seemed to start dozing off. When he was given the space to answer, instead of giving an answer, he remained with his head at one side, sleeping. He had to be called awake in order by someone nearby to wake up and answer.

Trump’s eligibility as a president has long been a question at the back of people's minds. He holds a felony conviction, ignorance of the tariffs he favors so much, and his distaste for immigrants. Trump’s crackdown on what he calls “illegal” aliens, terrorise the local community in Illinois. Even though the negative impacts of his 2018 tariffs are well-documented, Trump refuses to reflect and change for the better. Instead, he is sticking to his tariffs, which have been proven to make life more unaffordable for Americans.

A poll by POLITICO found that 46% of Americans blame Trump for the rising costs caused by his policies. This has funneled Democrats to victory in the recent Mayoral elections. Most notably, Zohran Mamdani, who had campaigned on making buses fast and free, making New York more affordable, and “Trump-proofing NYC”. This includes stopping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from taking New Yorkers and refusing to cooperate with ICE.7 This shows the Americans are realising that Trump cannot deliver on his campaign promises. His refusal to change his policies is dooming the US to a more unaffordable future.

Trump should reassess his suitability to remain in office and reevaluate his choices. We can only hope he takes advice from the trailblazers like Zohran Mamdani and experts to fix the current situation the US is in. To make sure that Americans can attain a greater and more affordable America.