DGA Statement on Donald Trump and Republicans’ Latest Cost-Raising Tariffs

DGA Statement on Donald Trump and Republicans' Latest Cost-Raising Tariffs

Following Donald Trump's announcement of a new round of cost-raising tariffs, DGA Communications Director Sam Newton released the following statement:

"As Trump announces round after round of reckless tariffs that jack up costs for Americans, Republicans running for governor have backed him 100% at the expense of working families and small businesses who are stuck paying the price. Democratic governors and candidates are fighting back and campaigning on clear plans focused on affordability and bringing costs down. Every Republican governor needs to explain why they are still refusing to stand up to Trump's latest cost-hiking tariffs."

See more below on how the tariffs will continue to be a "lethal issue" for Republicans running for governor:

• The Associated Press covered how in governors' races across the country, Democrats are making tariffs a "lethal issue" for Republicans, whose support for cost-raising tariffs will be a "motivating issue for many voters."
• In Nevada, Joe Lombardo, the most vulnerable governor, said he thinks Nevadans should "feel a little pain" from Trump's tariffs that have dealt "a heavy blow to a state economy still so reliant on tourism." Workers "are seeing reduced hours, smaller tips and layoffs," on top of an unemployment rate that "remains among the highest in the nation."

• In Georgia, Rick Jackson bragged that he made money off Trump's tariffs after Georgia families have already spent $1,200 more on average, business owners are calling the tariffs "a gut punch," and "auto exports dropped significantly" out of the Port of Savannah.
• In Wisconsin, Congressman Tom Tiffany has been an outspoken supporter of Trump's tariffs, the latest round of which "could be incredibly painful" for Wisconsin farmers and manufacturers and for the state's dairy industry. While farmers and ranchers have repeatedly warned that Trump's trade wars could push them to "go under," Tiffany has repeatedly voted to allow the tariffs to continue.

• In Iowa, farmers are preparing for their "economic pain" to "reach another level," following the latest round of tariffs that could upend a major trading relationship for the state. Zach Lahn, says the tariffs "work as intended," but Iowa farmers are under "extreme financial distress" and "on the verge of a crisis" as the tariffs send fertilizer prices up.
• Michigan's John James has voted multiple times to keep the cost-hiking tariffs in place and has said they "level the playing field" even though "increased costs from tariffs were as much as $3,200" for the average household in Michigan. After the last round of tariffs, an economist warned, "No region of the country is more exposed to these risks than the Midwest. And no state is more exposed to these risks than Michigan."
• In Arizona, Andy Biggs has repeatedly voted to protect and expand past cost-hiking tariffs and called them "a brilliant economic strategy." He even said they were "not inflationary," despite small businesses suffering from the rising cost of food and fuel and "cotton farmers taking a "major financial hit" from the tariffs.

• In Kansas, Ty Masterson has been a staunch defender of Trump's tariffs that are driving up costs and forcing farms across Kansas to shut down entirely. He even said the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this year striking down certain tariffs only "strengthens our resolve" to keep pushing the same failed policies.

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