Majority of Voters Like Trump's Plan for Tariffs

[applegrove]

Majority of Voters Like Trump’s Plan for Tariffs

September 16, 2024 at 8:58 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 277 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2024/09/16/majority-of-voters-like-trumps-plan-for-tariffs/

"SNIP............

Donald Trump’s campaign vow to increase tariffs on imported goods, particularly from China, has the support of a narrow majority of U.S. voters, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

............SNIP"

Applegrove:

Tariffs are inflationary and 70% to 3% economists are with Kamala on her policies being less inflationary than Trump's policies. See below.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219467894

[senseandsensibility]

1. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!

Cheato says: thanks, corporate media.

[Frank D. Lincoln]

3. Agreed. This represents yet another failure of the corporate media.

Kamala needs to place more emphasis in her campaign ads about how across-the-board tariffs would drive up consumer prices.

[elleng]

14. Right

[Docreed2003]

26. 👆👆👆 all of this

People don't know because Trump is allowed to spew nonsense and is rarely, if ever corrected. They hear his BS and think: "yeah that makes sense"

[surfered]

76. If Trump voters were smart, they wouldn't be Trump supporters. You can't fix stupid.

[jimfields33]

81. Please dear God don't allow 56 percent to vote for trump.

That’s the percentage that approves of the tariff tax. 56 percent! I don’t believe MAGA is that big.

[yardwork]

90. Wish I could rec a thousand times.

This lie wasn't even fact checked.

[LAS14]

93. I know exactly what it is, thanks to PBS and MSNBC and CNN. As far as I can tell...

...they're doing a good job on explaining who, exactly, pays the extra money.

[senseandsensibility]

95. Me too

but I was talking about the average voter, of course, the ones who are "for" the tariffs and don't watch MSNBC or those other outlets.

[dpibel]

2. Illustrating once again what polls do.

At best, this poll shows that Americans are remarkably uninformed about things on which they are willing to opine.

Was there a question in the poll asking people if they'd support tariffs if they cause the price of imported goods to go up 10%? If not, then all this poll shows is that the typical person on the street doesn't know how things work.

[Silent Type]

4. Lots of people think we'd be better off eliminating foreign goods. They are wrong, especially

long-term.

[former9thward]

10. What is your position on the Biden tariffs?

[Silent Type]

12. I'm not much on tariffs or protectionism. We live in a big world, and making trade enemies

is not a good long-term position.

But sometimes they are needed short-term.

Your turn.

[former9thward]

20. Biden has kept the Trump tariffs and increased some of them.

I agree with the tariffs by both administrations. We live in a ruthless world where other nations are doing their best to shove their products into the U.S. and destroying the national and local economies. I am sorry protectionism was not used more aggressively in the 1970s when we still had a vibrant steel industry. Now we have outsourced that to our enemies.

[Silent Type]

23. Kind of an America First on the billions of poor people worldwide. Thank gawd we had foreign car comepition in 70s

or American carmakers would still be making the same cruddy gas guzzling cars. Plus, we'd be in endless wars.

So, am I to assume you were part of the chorus against Obama and Clinton's attempt to forge trade agrees in Pacific and Europe that helped give us trump?

[former9thward]

27. I was part of the chorus against NAFTA.

As were all union workers. We knew it was going to be a disaster and it was.

[Silent Type]

31. I don't think it was. Of course, some folks take a global view of things.

[former9thward]

35. Yes, they do.

Until the job cuts and elimination comes for them.

[haele]

24. Tariffs should be targeted on domestic businesses Biden is trying to grow.

We didn't keep the TFG tariffs on some items, especially food items, but kept the tariffs on products like solar and chips that we're trying build factories for to keep our start-ups from being flooded by cheap Chinese goods and knock-offs.
They're protectionary at this point. That doesn't mean they won't go away later on.
After all, China also puts tariffs on some of our products.

Haele

[former9thward]

32. Biden put tariffs on EVs, Ev batteries and steel.

You can't pick and choose. Your arguments go down the drain when you do. Biden has a 25% tariff on pickup trucks and commercial vans from Europe. That one is from the 1960s. They don't go away.

[Wiz Imp]

25. Not exactly True

He kept some of them and eliminated others.

[former9thward]

33. What did he eliminate?

[Wiz Imp]

74. Here's one article

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/23/politics/biden-trump-tariffs-steel-whiskey-china/index.html

Biden administration eases some Trump-era tariffs on exports from UK and China

[former9thward]

77. And here is another.

Biden finalizes increases to some of Trump’s China tariffs

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/biden-finalizes-increases-to-china-tariffs/ar-AA1qwjri

[Wiz Imp]

78. That's right. Ignore the part where you were proven wrong.

I said that Biden eliminated some - an indisputable fact. I said nothing about the rest of your original claim that he left some in place and increased others. Your trying to argue as if I said something I never claimed.

Here's another article showing he eliminated or eased Trump tariffs. Something you falsely claimed didn't happen:

Biden touts ‘major breakthrough’ with EU to ease Trump-era tariffs on aluminum and steel

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/31/politics/us-eu-tariff-agreement/index.html

[former9thward]

82. You can pretend there are significant differences between the Biden and Trump tariffs.

But the math proves that wrong. Yes, every president tinkers with tariffs on the margins because the market always is changing. We don't have the same tariffs as Washington had. Yet we don't say "Biden has rejected the tariffs Washington had!" We are more intelligent than that.

[Wiz Imp]

84. Again, you're arguing against something I never claimed

My only claim to you was that your original post was "not exactly accurate". I didn't even say it was wrong, I just pointed out that when you said Biden kept Trump's tariffs, that was not totally accurate because he kept some not all. I did not address anything else you said. I didn't care about anything else you said. All I was effectively saying is that you should have used the word some when talking about Biden keeping Trumps tariffs. The main reason I pointed it out was so other people who read your post understood that Biden did not keep 100% of Trump's tariffs. I don't know why you had such a hard time accepting that. Sorry, if I offended you by trying to clarify your post and make it more accurate.

[TommieMommy]

5. These people don't realize it's going to cost them more money for stuff

[no_hypocrisy]

6. "Majority of voters" ? ? ? ?

In which demographic? Including Independents, Undecideds, and/or Democrats?

If a majority of Republicans, that would mean at least 51% of the 48% of registered Republicans, meaning not even 25% of registered voters. Taking it further, ca. 50% of registered voters vote. So, half that 24.48% who like tariffs to 12.24%, about one-eighth of registered voters.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

45. 56% of registered voters

I agree it's a dumb idea

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/16/donald-trump-tariffs-2024-election-poll/75246207007/

[Bleacher Creature]

7. Unreal - the ENTIRE purpose of a tariff is to raise the price of imported goods.

The idea that another country pays the tariff and that payment is invisible to consumers is pure lunacy given that the whole point is to raise prices of imports to benefit domestic producers. Obviously a majority of people don't understand the concept.

[MichMan]

52. Some people also believe that tariffs are passed along to consumers while corporate income taxes aren't

You will see many who believe only tariffs are passed on while other forms of taxation are borne solely by the business

[ALBliberal]

8. Maybe start campaigning how much an iphone

Costs with trump tariff!

They are not educated! And they are not critical thinkers!

[former9thward]

9. Does Kamala Harris support the Biden tariffs?

Biden finalizes increases to some of Trump’s China tariffs
CNN
—
The Biden administration said Friday that it has finalized tariff hikes on certain Chinese-made products that the president first announced in May.

The tariff rate will go up to 100% on electric vehicles, to 50% on solar cells and to 25% on electrical vehicle batteries, critical minerals, steel, aluminum, face masks and ship-to-shore cranes beginning September 27, according to the US Trade Representative’s Office.

Tariff hikes on other products, including semiconductor chips, are set to take effect over the next two years.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/13/politics/china-tariffs-biden-trump/index.html

[OAITW r.2.0]

56. Shocking, but maybe Trump actually had a good specific trade target that made sense?

[former9thward]

60. All presidents since Washington have imposed tariffs.

Some have worked and some have not.

[OAITW r.2.0]

62. You have to admit that Trump is taking the Republican economic theory 180 degrees.

Free market? No, Protected market. Except the consumer is getting fucked.

[former9thward]

64. Yes, Trump is leaving the Wall Street Journal crowd behind.

Who says the consumer is the King? Should we get rid of the military because we have to pay for it? We have to pay for alot of things that benefit the society as a whole. Too bad. Having a economy that makes things is a value which I am happy to pay more for.

[OAITW r.2.0]

69. Started in manufacturing in 71. Started at the bottom, got a lot of great experience.

Got a small business importing engineered products from India and China for OEMs.

[former9thward]

73. I started in 74 as part of furnance crew in a steel mill.

I wish more young people would take up manufacturing. We can only have so many influencers.

[OAITW r.2.0]

80. True that.

When you can produce something, that is truly awesome.

[Freethinker65]

11. No they do not. Not when they learn most of what they buy comes from China and will become more expensive to buy.

[Clouds Passing]

13. Most voters are misled to believe the tariffs are paid by the importers, they are paid by us consumers.

[former9thward]

21. The consumer does not pay if you don't buy the product.

[Wiz Imp]

28. There are some products that are needed

If Product X's manufacturing cost in the US is $200 but they can make it for $100 in China, a tariff that raises the price of the Chinese product to higher than $200, while it raises the cost to the US consumer, it makes the consumer more likely to buy the US product, thereby helping the US economy.

[former9thward]

43. That is not what is happening.

Chinese steel is subsidized by Chinese slave labor working in inhumane conditions and creating global pollution. That steel is then sold in the U.S. at lower prices than any U.S. steel company can match and drives them out of business. Then when that mission is accomplished the Chinese raise their prices on steel destroying our economy.

[Wiz Imp]

72. Sorry but your post is total nonsense

[Think. Again.]

36. So there's no reason to dislike higher prices because we can simply not buy things and then everything's fine?

What odd logic.

[former9thward]

39. There is a cost to living in a free country.

Our military costs alot of money but we have to pay it so that we are not dominated. We need important industries and there is a cost to that. To offshore our security and core economy to our many enemies is very odd logic.

[Think. Again.]

47. Who suggested off-shoring anything?

[former9thward]

49. Tariffs help stop that.

Which is why Biden has imposed them.

[Think. Again.]

55. Yes, but this OP is about trump's tariff plans.

[former9thward]

59. There is an implication that Trump supports tariffs and Harris does not.

That is how it is being framed. Is that true? Does Harris support the Biden tariffs?

[Think. Again.]

63. I see no implication of that...

Biden/Harris have a very different tariff structure than trump's plan.

This OP is about a survey asking if people like trump's plan.

[former9thward]

66. Why don't they ask which plan they support?

That would make sense in an election year. And the Biden plan has no significant differences.

[Think. Again.]

68. You didn't actually read the OP, did you?

[former9thward]

70. I read it quite close.

Maybe better than you read Medicare Part C

[Think. Again.]

75. Okay, I'm done.

[Clouds Passing]

87. It would do the earth good if we stopped useless buying. Slow global warming.

[former9thward]

88. Yes we should.

I don't know if it would stop global warming or not. It might cause a depression in the U.S. which would reduce the carbon footprint.

[Tarzanrock]

15. That Chinese argument is specious and irrelevant.

Those economic tariffs on certain Chinese goods such as technology and computer chips relate to military concerns, National Security concerns and International Relations and they have little to do with domestic economics policies. The argument is specious, irrelevant and it is a red herring generally advanced by know nothing Turd supporters.

[former9thward]

22. Really?

Then why did Biden put tariffs on Chinese EVs and batteries for EVs?

[Tarzanrock]

38. It's not "fair trade" when one side engages in "unfair trade" practices

It's not "fair trade" when one side engages in "unfair trade" practices which is what China is credibly accused of doing and which it has been doing for decades. Those are illegal acts and that is illegal conduct under International Trade Law. It has long been the practice of China to not just violate "fair trade" but to steal American intellectual property and engage in industrial espionage here inside the U.S. I've seen Federal Judges here in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sentence Chinese Nationals to Federal prison for industrial espionage in the California aerospace industries and computer industries and other technological related industries. China has been and is doing this with their EV's and with their batteries and Biden-Harris are punishing China economically for these transgressions. These acts also protect American technology; vital American industries; American workers; American jobs; and, American national security. As I said earlier, this has zero impact on the U.S. GDP and zero impact on U.S. domestic economics. It's nothing but a baseless fearmongering and lying talking point for the Turd to his idiotic base that has no basis in economic reality.

[applegrove]

42. Putting a 10% tariff on everything will grow inflation.

Putting it on one industry to protect that industry at home will not.

[Emile]

16. Apparently they know very little on how tariffs work.

[Tarzanrock]

17. Of course, Harris supports this -- so does every patriotic American.

"The tariff rate will go up to 100% on electric vehicles, to 50% on solar cells and to 25% on electrical vehicle batteries, critical minerals, steel, aluminum, face masks and ship-to-shore cranes beginning September 27, according to the US Trade Representative’s Office.

Tariff hikes on other products, including semiconductor chips, are set to take effect over the next two years."

Of course, Harris supports this -- so does every patriotic American -- at least those who are concerned with the U.S. military, our National Security interests and our International Relations with our SEATO allies including the defense of Taiwan and stopping Chinese hegemonic aggression in Southeast Asia.

[Think. Again.]

50. Harris' policies are different from trump's policies that the survey asked about.

It says it right in the title, see the part that says "trump's plans for tariffs"? that means, well, trump's plan for tariffs.

[Tarzanrock]

18. Those above-referenced "tariffs" which Harris and Biden support have almost zero impact on U.S. GDP.

They are, for the most part, utterly irrelevant to the U.S. economy. They are, however, of critical importance to the U.S. defense, to our military and to our International Relations and to our international responsibility to our SEATO allies and for the collective defense against Chinese aggression.

[Think. Again.]

34. Ye, but this article states it's trump's tariffs that the majority supports, not Harris'.

[applegrove]

40. Thank you.

[Think. Again.]

51. It seems to be deliberate.

[applegrove]

65. I think so too.

[Trenzalore]

19. A majority of voters never took an economics course

[Brainfodder]

29. Looks like some ADS need made and shown on the Foxy Newz!?!

[Think. Again.]

30. The majority of voters WANT higher prices? I doubt that.

[Wiz Imp]

37. Harris and Walz should be hammering on this in every appearance between now and the election.

Also make some ads about it. It's not too hard to understand if explained correctly. Make it clear that Trump is lying. The Chinese government does not pay any costs of tariffs. If a Chinese company wants to continue to sell a product in the US which is subject to tariff, then the only way that is economically viable for them to do it is to raise the price for the American consumer. If the product is something US consumers really want (or need) to buy, then those consumers will be paying extra for that product moving forward. It doesn't hurt the Chinese government at all nor does it hurt the Chinese company making and selling the product. The price is entirely paid for by the US consumer.

[Jose Garcia]

41. Kind of hard to do when Biden kept, and added to, Trump's tariffs

[Wiz Imp]

71. I responded to this before - your claim is not accurate

Biden kept tariffs on some products and removed the tariffs on others:

Biden administration eases some Trump-era tariffs on exports from UK and China

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/23/politics/biden-trump-tariffs-steel-whiskey-china/index.html

And no, it's not hard to explain. Some tariffs make sense, others don't and economists agree on that. The ones Biden kept were ones that generally make sense. Trumps proposed tariffs for a new term, on the other hand, would be expanded to far more things including items that US consumers count on being able to buy at cheap prices from China. The new tariffs would definitely raise prices for consumers - ALL economists agree with that and generally estimate it would cost around an extra $4000 per family.

Tariffs on everyday products that Americans buy will raise prices on those products and it is very easy to explain that that - just give some examples.

[Jose Garcia]

89. Tariffs on steel don't make sense

They increase costs any consumer product made of steel: cars, appliances, ect

[Wiz Imp]

91. By most anlyses, the Trump tariffs on Steel did indeed have a negative impact on the US economy

I don't argue against that. And while Biden generally kept them, he had some reasons for it that made it not quite as simple as steel tariffs are always bad. Note: I'm not defending Biden's decision to keep or expand some of Trump's tariffs. You explain well why tariffs on steel generally aren't productive. Good point. However, a lot of factors go into whether a tariff on a particular product make sense including other countries' tariffs on US products. Point being that when evaluating the advisability of a tariff on a particular product a lot of things need to be considered and as a result, sometimes a tariff can make economic sense. Now maybe tariffs on steel really are always bad but I wouldn't make that blanket statement without considering all the factors in the specific time that it is being proposed or considered.

[Jose Garcia]

92. And Biden kept those tariffs, simply to benefit a small

portion of the population to the detriment of most Americans. Good thing that inflation hasn't been a problem.

[Wiz Imp]

94. You seem intent on arguing against straw men

Go ahead. I made my point.

And by the way, go ahead and maintain your overly simplistic views

Revoking tariffs would not tame inflation
But it would leave our supply chains even more vulnerable to disruption

https://www.epi.org/blog/revoking-tariffs-will-not-tame-inflation-but-it-would-leave-our-supply-chains-even-more-vulnerable-to-disruption/

Note: The EPI is a liberal think tank led by Robert Reich - former Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton and vociferous Trump critic.

[BannonsLiver]

48. I think using specific examples of products people use regularly

But would pay out the ass for under Trump would be helpful.

[Wiz Imp]

61. Agreed

[lees1975]

44. Every title that has the word "poll" in it gets the trash button.

If they took a poll now, and the news media wanted to contradict it, they'd find that two thirds of Americans don't believe the sky is really blue.

[Tarzanrock]

46. These Chinese companies are not involved in pure capitalism.

You are assuming that these "Chinese companies" are involved in pure capitalism. They are not. Most of China's heavy industries are mostly government owned, controlled and/or heavily subsized by the Communist Chinese government. This is not a "fair" playing field. It's the Chinese government competing with General Motors which is not subsidized by the American government. The fact that the Chinese can't sell or that they have difficulty selling their products to the U.S. (which is their largest market) negatively effects their production and sales. I have no problem with the Biden-Harris imposition of these tariffs on China.

[BamaRefugee]

53. And they're gonna wonder "howcum we cain't afford nuthin at Bass Pro Shops and Walmart no more???"

[OAITW r.2.0]

54. A majority of US voters don't understand how tariffs work.

< I wrote this before reading any other threads on this post.>

[captain queeg]

57. They are as stupid as him. They think it's free money, just like he does.

[Picaro]

58. They don't understand tariffs

This why our democracy is failing. You have to understand the actual issues before you can make rational decisions.

Bet mass deportations poll well too.

And that would be an immediate economic catastrophe.

But the after effects would be even more severe. The world is already starting to look at no longer using the dollar as the de facto global currency.

Trump would withdraw from NATO. All aid to Ukraine would cease.

The stage for WW III starting in Europe would be set.

So let’s stop talking about obvious stupidity polling well. Because some of the above either polls well now or might in the future.

[Rebl2]

67. They

apparently don’t understand that they, the consumer in the USA, will pay for tariffs with increased prices on products, clothing, cars, etc.

[Eliot Rosewater]

79. If we lose our democracy in November it will be our fault, or really the media.

What worries me is I dont know about you all but if traitor takes power and starts his, and these are his words, "bloody mass deportation" and arresting anyone who doesnt support him, I wont stand by and do nothing.

that is for GOD DAMN sure.

[keithbvadu2]

83. Most tariffs are a tax paid by the consumer. Fox had my gf convinced that China paid all the tariffs.

[Jack Valentino]

85. The majority of voters clearly have no understanding of tariffs....

and don't understand that it comes out of their own pocket--- I think Democrats need to educate the people more on this.


I am not against specifically targeted tariffs intended to support US manufacturing, such as President Biden's tariff applied to Chinese EVs being sold in the United States--- but Trump's "across the board" tariff proposals are simply irresponsible and will bring increased "across the board INFLATION"...

and while hammering the Biden-Harris administration about "inflation", the Republicans have not come up with a single proposal that would actually decrease inflation, so far as I am aware. Most of the Trump economic proposals would actually cause inflation.

[LymphocyteLover]

86. The orange turd puts out all sorts of things that will sounds good to a naive person with a poor understanding

of economics, but would be totally disastrous if implemented