Tariffs Are Working
What Just Happened, and What It Means for America
Hi friends,
Understatement of the month - President Trump’s tariffs have been in the news.
There’s a lot to unpack, and I hope to help. I’ve reviewed dozens of articles and some videos, seen memes too of course. This work is my contribution to anyone who wants to have some clarity and to better understand.
Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts.
They said tariffs would tank the economy. 75 countries just proved them wrong.
President Trump told us tariffs would bring the world to the table. He was right. A week after his April 2nd announcement, over 75 nations are responding—and the U.S. economy is stronger for it. Here's what the media got wrong, what’s actually happening, and what comes next.
1. A Bold Promise, Now a Bold Result
President Trump promised tariffs would reshape America's economy. He spoke about them constantly on the campaign trail, and in office, he wasted no time. His goal: make trade fair, reduce America’s debt, and revive manufacturing.
By early 2025, before his formal April 2, 2025 tariff announcement, positive results were already pouring in. U.S. companies had already begun reshoring, and other countries were stepping up to the plate. His strategy was already working before the April 2nd announcement hit.
On April 2, 2025, he revised America’s tariff plan, announced new tariff amounts for a number of countries: a 10% baseline tariff on all imports, with higher reciprocal tariffs for nations treating America unfairly.
Media and financial elites reacted with doomsday predictions. Wall Street winced. But within 24 hours, 50 nations contacted the U.S. to negotiate. A week later, more than 75 countries had done the same. Only China held out.
Tariffs are working.
2. How Do Tariffs Work? Who Pays What?
A tariff is a tax on foreign producers who want access to the U.S. market. Contrary to media spin, Americans don’t "pay the whole thing."
Tariffs are applied at the point of entry.
Many foreign producers eat the cost to remain competitive.
Studies estimate U.S. consumer inflation from tariffs at 1.5% to 3% max, and that’s in extreme scenarios.
Over 1,000 product categories are exempt from the new tariffs: energy, medicine, semiconductors, and key commodities like copper and lumber. There will be no change in these categories, period.
And when you buy American? No tariff at all.
3. Historical Backbone - Tariffs Built America
This strategy isn’t new. Alexander Hamilton's 1791 Report on Manufactures laid the foundation:
Tariffs protected young American industries.
They funded the government before the income tax existed.
America grew wealthy enough to become a benefactor nation by the 20th century.
Hamilton used tariffs to build. Trump is using them to negotiate.
4. What the Critics Said (And Got Wrong)
Wall Street pundits predicted disaster:
"Prices will skyrocket."
"Trade war will devastate global stability."
"Investment will dry up."
But what actually happened?
24 hours in: 50 nations responded.
7 days in: 75+ countries negotiating.
Markets dipped, but far less than predicted. Some sectors have already rebounded.
Fed Chair Powell warned of slower growth, but not recession. Consumers, meanwhile, saw minimal price change. In fact, egg prices—a grocery aisle staple—have dropped by roughly 65%, offering a clear sign that fears of runaway inflation have not materialized.
A bumpy ride? More like a pothole.
5. The Strategy: Tariffs as Leverage, Not Punishment
Trump’s tariffs aren’t set in stone. They’re leverage:
Nations with unfair trade terms? Higher tariffs to offset some of the imbalance.
Nations that negotiate? Pause or reduction.
Today’s announcement confirms this:
A 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs (except China).
75+ nations negotiating shows the world took the U.S. seriously. They know the imbalance is factual.
Scott Bessent (via Tucker Carlson Interview): “Hamilton used tariffs to build the country. Trump is using them to restructure global trade.” Bessent estimates that the new tariffs could generate between $300 billion and $600 billion in revenue for the U.S. treasury over time.”
Jeff Childers (Coffee & Covid): “Tariffs are like taking away your son’s video game privileges so he’ll come to dinner. It’s not about punishment—it’s about changing behavior, fast.”
America has long extended generous trade terms—often one-sided—to maintain diplomatic goodwill, but this generosity has, over time, come at the expense of its own workers and industries.
6. Transition: AI + Manufacturing = New Jobs
Some fear AI will eliminate jobs. But paired with tariffs and reshoring, it’s the opposite:
AI fills gaps, improves efficiency.
Manufacturing returns, supported by automation.
Workers are Hired, trained, or retrained for new jobs, not sidelined.
This is a new industrial revolution—not nostalgia, but a future-forward pivot.
7. Tariffs Are Working! Here’s What Comes Next
Trump made a bold promise, took bold action, and now the world is responding.
Critics are still loud, but the facts are louder:
Dozens of nations are adjusting.
The markets are adjusting.
Americans are adjusting—most didn’t even feel the feared blow.
It took 4 years to get into this mess (decades really). It won’t be fixed overnight. But it is being fixed.
Tariffs are working. And this is just the beginning.
Sources:
Tariffs Are Working Over 40 other articles
God bless you, God bless President Trump and team, and God bless America!
As always, do your own research; make up your own mind.
References to other sources do not necessarily reflect my opinions, and I make no claim to their veracity or completeness. I provide them for your consideration.
(AI was used in this article.)
Stay calm - President Trump is a businessman who operates strategically, and not everything will make sense at first. His plan to shrink government and Make America Great Again is a process, not an overnight fix. Trust the long game, not just the headlines.
United we stand. Divided we fall. We must not let America fall.
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Until next time…
Please share your thoughts in the comments. I hope we can create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results.
Disclaimer: I do my best to use integrity in my attempts to help people be informed. To the best my ability and belief, all information contained herein is accurate and reliable, and has been obtained from public sources I believe to be accurate and reliable; however, the information is presented “as is,” without warranty of any kind. This message reflects my personal perspective on current events. While I strive for accuracy, please verify details through official sources. Shared and aggregated posts may not have been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. Things can change as soon as I publish this. I sometimes edit my posts online after they are emailed, so changes will be on the website but won't be emailed. Curated content and content aggregated from other sources is provided with sources and/or under a creative commons license.
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