Trump tariffs also hitting US consumers? US President admits Americans ‘might be paying something’ due to tariffs
In a shift from his long maintained approach over US tariffs, US President Donald Trump on Thursday acknowledged that consumers are actually paying higher prices for goods. This marks a switch in his stance, as he has long maintained that US citizens have benefited from the tariffs overall. During a discussion with journalists in the Oval Office, a reporter quoted Chief Justice John Roberts’ comment that tariffs are effectively taxes paid by Americans.
When asked if he agreed, Trump said, “No, I don’t agree. I think that they might be paying something. But when you take the overall impact, the Americans are gaining tremendously.”Since taking office, the US President has used tariffs as a central tool of both diplomacy and economic strategy, repeatedly claiming that foreign nations, not Americans, were contributing to US coffers through the levies. Economists, however, pointed out that it is ultimately the consumers of imported goods who bear the cost.The issue has gained new attention after US Supreme Court justices raised doubts on Wednesday about the legality of Trump’s tariffs, in a case with far-reaching implications for presidential authority over trade policy, Reuters reported. Trump has warned that a ruling stripping him of the ability to set tariffs would be disastrous, saying his administration would need a contingency or “Plan B” if the court rules against him.For months, Trump has maintained that other countries are the ones paying the tariffs, levying duties on imports from China, Canada, the European Union and elsewhere. Removing tariffs, he argues, would eliminate a tool he has used to resolve trade conflicts and promote what he considers economic fairness for the United States, which itself faces tariffs from other nations.Reflecting on a potential Supreme Court ruling against him, Trump added, “I think it’d be devastating for our country, but I also think that we’ll have to develop a ‘game two’ plan. We’ll see what happens.”“I hope that we win. I can’t imagine that anybody would do that kind of devastation to our country,” he further added.
