Republicans, grasping for an issue to attack Democrats over as they head to expected losses in this fall’s midterm elections, have inexplicably decided to embrace President Donald Trump’s widely unpopular tariffs.
CNBC reported on Tuesday that the National Republican Congressional Committee, the party’s committee designed to hold control of the House of Representatives, plans to run digital ads attacking Democrats for opposing Trump’s tariffs. The ads will run in 15 districts that the GOP believes Democrats are vulnerable in.
“House Democrats had a simple choice: stand with American workers or side with Communist China. They chose China. Voters won’t forget who stood with American workers and who stood with Beijing,” said NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella in a statement.
Marinella’s comment runs contrary to reality as experienced by millions of American workers.
Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on multiple nations has led to increased costs that have been passed on to companies, which in turn have raised prices for consumers. That has led to a jobs slump, reversing the trend of growth that Trump inherited from former President Joe Biden.
The conservative majority of the Supreme Court found that Trump overstepped his authority with much of his tariff policies but combined with rising gas prices thanks to his decision to attack Iran, the idea has been a drag on the economy—hurting many of the workers the NRCC is asserting are pro-tariff.
The other component of the Republican argument isn’t true either. Trump’s choice to raise tariffs has led many nations to reconsider their trade with the U.S. and they have instead turned to China. China has seen its economic fortunes improve during Trump’s second term and has been assisted by his attack on universities and colleges, where a “brain drain” has benefitted China.
Trump has been amazing for China, to the detriment of American workers.
Tariffs have been widely unpopular since Trump began to put the policies in place. Not surprisingly, Americans don’t like the notion of paying more for goods while losing access to foreign markets. In a March poll from Harris, 72% said that Trump’s tariffs have hurt the economy and 67% said they are the wrong solution to help the ailing Trump economy.
In an attempt to avoid a debate in Congress over the issue, Trump announced a slate of tariffs last week against more than 60 countries for the purported use of forced labor. The public has rejected these too. In an Economist/ YouGov poll taken July 25-27, 55% of respondents opposed the new tariffs—even including 20% of respondents who said they voted for Trump in 2024. Additionally, 54% of respondents said they opposed Trump’s tariffs against China, the issue the Republicans are campaigning on.
As the NRCC tries to make hay out of one of Trump’s most unpopular stances, Democrats have been hammering away at the affordability issue (something Trump said was a “hoax” from Democrats). High-profile Democratic leaders like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have backed initiatives like city-run grocery stores, designed to combat rising grocery costs caused by Trump’s actions.
The likelihood of voters turning out to vote in favor of the trade policies that have caused them financial hardship is low, but the GOP appears desperate enough to gamble on illogic.
Published with permission of Daily Kos
