On March 5, the Wall Street Journal published additional words regarding Trump and tariffs.
Its February 5th editorial said, “Welcome to the Trump tariff thrill ride,” after he had given a one-month tariff reprieve to auto makers. The Journal then discredited Trump’s assertion that the tariffs would allow ‘our auto industry to absolutely boom’ by noting that “Executive, investors and dealers beg to differ” with General Motors and Ford stock prices recently being lower and “the tariff barrage is causing economic uncertainty and slowing investment—a real thrill a minute.”[1]
And Karl Rove, a Republican political consultant, policy advisor and lobbyist, in a Journal article had favorable comments about Trump’s speech to Congress, but said the following regarding his comments about tariffs: “’Mr. Trump admitted ‘there will be a little disturbance, but we are OK with that.’ Maybe not. If tariffs drive up prices, consumers will feel it as they shop just as they did when inflation destroyed Mr. Biden. They’ll also see how tariffs affect where they work as companies cut costs and raise prices.”[2]
Rove also noted Trump’s saying tariffs will ‘be great for the American farmer‘ because they’ll ‘new be selling into the home market.’ “But the domestic market isn’t enough. The Agriculture Department says U.S. producers rely ‘on export markets to sustain prices and revenues.’ Farm exports were $174 billion in 2023, or 20% of all agricultural products. If tariff wars cause trading partners to buy food elsewhere, American farmers won’t have their promised ‘field day.’”
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[1] Editorial, The Trump Tariff Roller Coaster, W.S.J. (Mar. 5, 2025) See also Wall Street Journal’s Criticism of Trump’s Tariff Decisions and Analysis of His Values, dwkcommentaries.com (Mar. 5, 2025).
[2] Rove, Trump’s Speech Is a Deft Victory Dance, W.S.J. (Mar. 5, 2025). Rove also was an official in the George W. Bush Administration. (Karl Rove, Wikipedia.)