Trump dives into political unknown with tariff plan
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. WASHINGTON—President Trump promised a new American golden age. But the immediate fallout from his expansive tariffs has been a shuddering stock market and rising fears of a recession.
The dark economic picture that emerged Thursday triggered alarm among some Trump allies and Republican strategists, who worry the president’s trade policies could backfire with voters. “We’re playing a game of chicken right now," said GOP pollster Wes Anderson. “The Republican base is going to give the president a fairly long runway and the Democratic base will give him none.
The middle, that’s a different thing." Some voters say the tariffs are a political risk. “I didn’t expect him to tariff as many people as he is tariffing, and as harsh as he is tariffing these countries," said Benjamin Davis, a 20-year-old college student in Pittsburgh who voted for Trump. Davis expects the tariffs to hurt Republicans in the midterms, but predicts an upswing in the economy by 2028.
“This is probably gonna be a good play long term," Davis said, “but short term, it’s definitely gonna hurt us." Trump is betting that disruptions will be brief and manageable as he works to reshape the U.S. economy and bring back overseas manufacturing jobs. Aides and allies argue that he is a dealmaker who will be able to use the tariffs to negotiate with other countries, strengthen national security and improve America’s economic position—everyone just has to be patient.
Yet the shocks threaten to undermine Trump’s central appeal in last year’s election. His vow to bring down prices is in jeopardy given how U.S. importers are likely to pass along increased costs to consumers.
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