People Who Voted For Trump In 2024 Are Sharing How They Really Feel About The Tariffs

Yahoo

12 hours ago

I was pretty shocked the other day to read about actual price differences caused by tariffs, and I wanted to learn specifically about how Trump voters feel about the tariffs — whether they think they're a good idea or not.
So, I decided to ask Trump voters to tell me what they really think about the tariffs; and, for good measure, I turned to the answers to a post on the subreddit Ask Trump Supporters that asked, "Do Trump supporters see the new tariff policy as a smart negotiating tactic with allies, or is there concern it could backfire?" Here are some people's answers:
1."I love the idea of Trump pushing the tariffs. It will teach the consumer what is really important to be spending their money on and learn how to be conservative. Plus bring back the businesses to the grand ol' USA."
—Anonymous, 72 years old, Kansas City, Missouri
2."Not me, but my grandad. He has said that he regrets voting for Trump, even though he hates Harris. One, the tariffs are going to make his small business (golf balls) suffer, and he's worried about my business (cosmetics) suffering, too."
"Two, he thinks Trump has dementia, because of the way Trump has been talking and stuff. He also thinks Trump is really violent.
Also, my grandad was absolutely horrified when Elon did the Nazi salute thing (why did everyone just forget about this?) because, even though my grandad is Catholic, he has multiple Jewish friends, and was actually the one who kickstarted my interest in the history of the Holocaust.
When Trump made that 'joke' about wanting to be the new Pope, that was the breaking point for him."
—Anonymous
3."Good decision, time will prove it was a good one."
—Anonymous, 78, Moline, Illinois
4."Tariffs are not going to help small businesses or consumers. A tariff is a tax that is passed on to the consumer. The government will collect this tax. What they will do with it is anyone's guess."
"Trump lied to his voters. Tariffs increase prices of goods and services. Once prices go up they will never come down.
Many small businesses will close as they will not be able to pay the insurmountable prices added to products which were already too high. Many people will lose their jobs, and things will just get worse. Meanwhile, Trump is making all types of deals in the Middle East for his business. God bless America."
—Anonymous
5."My boyfriend voted for him in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and he still argues that China (or whoever) pays the tariffs."
—Anonymous, 46, California
Related: This FSU Student Had A Scathing Message For Donald Trump, And It's Going Mega Viral
6."Absolutely genius. Europe is already buckling. They want reciprocal free trade, but are not yet willing to remove VAT on imports and all the other shenanigans they pull to restrict trade. Trump is not falling for it."
—u/whateverisgoodmoney
"What exactly has been gained by all this chaos?"
—u/dsteffee
"Nothing yet. Trump is offering time to negotiate. But in a few months, deals come off the table, and they must suffer the tariffs or comply."
—u/whateverisgoodmoney
7."Well, I'm skeptical and on the fence. There are countries that totally deserve, like, a 300% tariff, like China. And I've always been very, VERY suspicious of a global economic system that seems to favor a country like China just too much. Let's see what happens."
—u/Ivan_Botsky_Trollov
"I just don't get how this hurts China. How does this not favor China more and potentially catapult China into being the reserve currency/preeminent economic superpower? To me this feels like the US just conceding the top spot for nothing, while China gets to swoop into all of these other countries and say, 'We've got you, we won't abandon you like the US did,' slowly building their sphere of influence until they have the political and military cache to strongarm the US in diplomatic situations."
—u/Ok-Release1928
8."I hope it's just a negotiating tactic in order to get other countries to lower their tariffs against us, something everyone should support. But I think Trump might actually just love tariffs and hate deficits."
—u/flyingchimp12
Related: "There's No More Hiding Their Ideology" — People Cannot Believe This "Terrifying" Post By Trump Is Real
9."It's a risky gambit, I won't deny that. But what we were doing was unsustainable and going to bankrupt us in time, most likely much sooner than we'd like, and I don't hear Democrats offering any better alternatives, just screaming, 'Trump Bad!'"
"What Trump's trying to do — if it succeeds — could pay off big-ly, enough that even the more moderate of Trump's opponents might be forced to admit that he did a good thing.
Heck, if Trump can simply get the countries with tariffs on us right now to lower their existing tariffs in exchange for our previous tariff rates, that alone would do a lot. If we can get reciprocal tariffs with countries that enjoy other benefits from the US, such as funding or alliance stuff, even better."
—u/Jaded_Jerry
10."This isn't about making life easier for investors. Sure, once a new business is established, it'll be more competitive with experience, and perhaps not need tariffs to be competitive in four years."
"What it's really about is empowering those willing to do work, and making those businesses viable before the next presidency. I'm sure some tariffs will remain in four years, and hopefully the next president sees the wisdom in maintaining them."
—u/neovulcan
11."I think it's more than a negotiating tactic, though he is obviously using them to that effect at times. But I think Trump is not a free trader at his core, and do not think his goal is just to get other countries to lower their trade barriers to zero (they won't do that anyway)."
"I think Trump views us as having gone way too far in the direction of maximizing short-term profit by eating the seed corn of industry, so to speak. It's a long-term and potentially watershed policy shift with huge ramifications. There are definitely nerves and there are definitely risks."
—u/KnownFeedback738
12."I don't have confidence that the tariff policy laid out last week will be successful. They were also calculated incorrectly, and Trump likely exceeded the legal authority he is using to levy the tariffs."
—u/Gaxxz
13."Somehow, back in the 1950s-1980s, people managed to buy lots of American goods without even owning credit cards, generally. I wonder if local manufacturing jobs helped. The 1970s oil crisis created inflation twice as high as it's ever been in your life (unless you're over 50). And nobody even knows. By the Reagan '80s boom, it was forgotten. All it did was spur the invention of fuel-efficient cars."
Scott McPartland / Getty Images, NBC
—u/itsakon
14."More competition for workers in USA means wages go up."
"30% extra import tax means the cost price of a Nike shoe they sell for $90 in the USA goes up from 10 dollars to 13 dollars. Nike can decide if they charge the three dollars extra to customers, take it from their enormous yearly profit, or if they build more shoe plants in the USA so there is more work in the USA.
If they choose A or B then the government has three dollars they don't have to get somewhere else."
—u/lordtosti
15."We don't have enough thinking-type jobs to sustain young US workers. I don't know if the country will make more money, but the goal is better jobs than young workers currently can access."
—u/noluckatall
16."It's a risk. But Trump is not the habit of letting things age — he wants to make deals. Some countries he might want to keep tariffs on, if it's judged to be good for the US. Otherwise, tariffs should be lower a year from now."
—u/jackneefus
17.And finally: "I honestly don't know; at this point, I'm waiting to see what happens."
—u/beyron
What do you think? I'm interested in hearing all your opinions down in the comments below. Or, if you have something to say but prefer to stay anonymous, you're more than welcome to write in to the anonymous form below.
Please note: some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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