On Liberation Day Anniversary, DNC Blasts Trump for His Tariffs as Working Families Shoulder the Costs Arrow

WATCH: Trump and his administration claimed tariffs would usher in a "golden age," but one year in, prices are skyrocketing

Today, the DNC hosted a press call with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Senator Andy Kim, co-sponsor of the Tariff Refund Act of 2026, Executive Director of Groundwork Action Lindsay Owens, and owner of ETM Manufacturing Doug Scheffel on the anniversary of Donald Trump's self-proclaimed "Liberation Day" to discuss the damage his reckless trade war has done to the economy over the past year.

During today's call, the speakers highlighted how Trump's disastrous tariffs have wrecked the economy and forced working families to bear the brunt of the costs. Since Liberation Day, prices have skyrocketed, 2025 saw the highest number of layoffs since 2020, and the manufacturing sector has been hollowed out. Just today, the Challenger report showed that U.S. employers announced 60,620 job cuts in March, up 25% from 48,307 cuts announced in February. Trump cost working families an average of $2,120 per household in 2025, as consumers bear the costs of the tariffs and inflation.

Trump promised to "lower costs on Day One," and he and his administration officials claimed that Liberation Day would be the start of a "golden age," but instead, the economy has taken a nosedive and working families are being forced to choose between paying for their rent, groceries, and other basic necessities.

Find highlights from the call below:

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries:

"Liberation Day has been a disaster. Donald Trump's policies have been a disaster, and Republicans have failed the American people, particularly on the economy. Donald Trump promised that costs would go down on day one. But of course, in the United States of America, during the Trump presidency, costs haven't gone down. Costs have gone up, and we can thank the Trump tariffs for imposing thousands of dollars in additional costs on everyday Americans, small business owners, and farmers throughout the country."

"Donald Trump has not managed to liberate the economy. What Donald Trump has done is decimate the bank accounts of the American people. Since the beginning of this presidency, and certainly as a result of what took place on so-called 'Liberation Day,' we've seen costs in this country skyrocket under the presidency of Donald Trump. The cost of groceries skyrocketed. Housing costs are out of control. Health insurance premiums are through the roof. Gas prices have dramatically increased. Child care costs are out of control. Prices in the United States of America have gone up as a direct result of the economic policies put into place by Donald Trump and House and Senate Republicans."

U.S. Senator Andy Kim:

"When Trump was up there at the inauguration, he was up on stage and talked about a 'golden age' for America. What we've come to see a year into these tariffs is, what he actually meant was, it was a golden age for those that were up on stage with him. It's a golden age for the billionaires and the big corporations but not for the small businesses. It's not for the American families that are trying to make ends meet, and seeing their prices rising across the board, whether from the tariffs or from the war. They're getting hit from all sides and the level of anxiety is through the roof."

Executive Director of Groundwork Action Lindsay Owens:

"One year ago, Trump claimed his tariffs would 'lower prices for consumers.' We all know the reality: the opposite has happened. The Joint Economic Committee suggests his tariffs have cost families an average of $1,700 already and are slated to raise costs by another $2,500 per family this year alone."

"Trump said that jobs 'will come roaring back in our country,' that's a quote. Here's what happened: 2025 was the weakest year for job growth outside of a recession in more than 20 years; employers announced more than 1 million layoffs in 2025 alone; and just this morning, we learned of employers announcing 60,000 job cuts in March - that's up 25% from February."

Doug Scheffel, owner of ETM Manufacturing:

"I'm here today because a year ago, everything changed. My company's revenue last year, 2025 to 2024, dropped somewhere in the neighborhood of about 20%. Our largest customer went from spending over about $1 million with us annually to about $100,000 with us, largely because they didn't have any work. And customers who were ordering 10 of something started ordering five or two because of the uncertainty."

"When costs go up because of tariffs and margins are already thin, you really don't have a choice. You can't absorb it. You raise prices, and when your customers are small companies that means they buy less, or they don't buy at all and it's a chain reaction. Small businesses employ nearly half the American workforce. And my ask is, don't keep forgetting about us, and expect the economy to hold up."