Donald Trump announced Friday that he was scrapping U.S. tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and a broad swath of other commodities — a dramatic move that comes amid mounting pressure on his administration to better combat high consumer prices.
Trump has built his second term around imposing steep levies on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of encouraging domestic production and lifting the U.S. economy. His abrupt retreat from his signature tariff policy on so many staples key to the American diet is significant, and it comes after voters in off-year elections this month cited economic concerns as their top issue, resulting in big wins for Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey and other key races around the country.
Increase grocery supplier profits*
because so many people are buckling down and spending less at the grocery stores. Their support is more valuable than his tithe right now, as he’s polling historically low among almost every demographic on almost every issue. These “savings” (read: tax cuts, tariffs are taxes never forget it and the taxes were pushed exclusively by Trump and have never been popular even among the most hardcore MAGAs) will never be passed on to the consumer. Consumer prices aint going down, but Trump’s taking less of a cut of the profits for now to keep his crony friends from turning on him.