Thank you for reading Message Box. This is a community of more than 160,000 activists, organizers, political junkies, and others who care about our democracy. I’m privileged to write for such an incredible group. Special thanks to our paid subscribers, who make it all possible. If you’re not yet one, I hope you’ll consider upgrading to support one of the few outlets not owned by a MAGA billionaire. Trump Is Giving Your Money to His Corporate BackersHe made you pay for illegal tariffs. Now he's refunding the corporations and stiffing you. Democrats should scream it from the rooftops.
A few weeks ago, the Trump Administration made an announcement that, in a different era, would have been the dominant story in American politics. Instead, like so much else in the Trump era, it was quickly washed away by subsequent outrages and controversy, and almost no one noticed. And it just happens to be an issue that could be a major advantage for the Democrats this Fall. If they decide to jump on it and make it an issue. Here’s the issue that every Democrat should scream from the rooftops about. Trump is Giving Your Money to His Corporate BackersAs I know you remember, Trump ran on lowering prices. He didn’t just promise to stem inflation or do his level best to fight to lower prices. Trump explicitly guaranteed that his election would immediately lead to lower prices at the grocery store and gas pump. Instead of doing any of that, Trump levied a series of tariffs that raised prices on almost everyone and everything. As I know you also remember, the tariffs are paid by the company importing the foreign product into the United States, and those companies pass those costs along to the consumer, because companies like to make as much money as possible. This was not a small burden on American families already struggling with a tough economy. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the tariffs cost the average American family $1,100 annually. Trump’s tariffs were stupid economically, but they were also unconstitutional. Because Congress would never vote to raise costs on the American people, Trump used legal authorities so dubious that even this Supreme Court felt compelled to strike them down. So, American families spent $1,100 of their hard-earned money on illegal tariffs that never should have been enacted. Now, the Trump Administration has $166 billion in illegal tariff money paid by corporations but funded by American consumers. And how is Trump trying to make things right? By giving refunds to corporations and nothing to the consumer. Apple has received more than $2 billion in tariff refunds. Amazon, $600 million. Walmart could receive as much as $10 billion. Why This is a Great Issue for DemsI have rarely seen such a great issue served on a silver platter this close to an election. Trump making Americans pay higher prices for groceries and goods and then giving the money back to corporations who donate to his campaigns and put money in his pocket is a perfect metaphor for how Republicans approach the economy and why the American people feel like the system is rigged against them. It’s all of Trump’s biggest vulnerabilities wrapped up in one issue.
Trump put in place illegal tariffs that cost American families $1,100, and when those tariffs were struck down, he gave the money to corporations instead of consumers. It’s hard to find a more pitch-perfect example of how Trump has made life worse for Americans. Democrats are constantly searching for issues that can drive the conversation, highlight our strengths, and unify our fractious party. We should do everything in our power to make sure every American knows that Trump raised prices and then gave the relief to the corporations instead of American families. Sometimes politics isn’t that complicated. Invite your friends and earn rewards
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