The economy has been a strong selling point for Donald Trump, who won the 2024 presidential election. Unfortunately for his voters, they’re about to find out exactly how tariffs work. It’s going to be one brutal learning curve ahead.
In a TikTok video, user P (@socialist_mac_miller) educated people online about tariffs. Many of Trump’s voters believed that they would get cheaper goods due to his economic proposals, but P disputed this claim in his two-minute video. He claims that, on the contrary, companies are already preparing to hike their prices prior to a Trump presidency in preparation for Trump’s “dumbass tariffs.” This claim was verified by several companies who are preparing to import large orders of goods before the tariffs take effect.
P also clarified that a tariff isn’t a tax on another country. Rather, it’s a fine paid by American businesses—which will ultimately be shouldered by consumers. Throughout the video, P expressed anger and frustration over voters who naively voted for Trump without understanding tariffs. His fury is understandable, since the keywords “Trump tariffs” started trending on Google Trends only after the election.
He ended the video, claiming that he didn’t want to hear complaints from Trump voters when groceries become incredibly unaffordable. “I don’t want to hear a fucking peep out of any of you who voted for Pumpkin Spice Palpatine when the price of a carton of eggs shoots up to $18.” I’m almost sure that Pumpkin Spice Palpatine is the most creative Donald Trump nickname out there. It’s time we retire “orange” or “fascist”—they’ve lost their flare for insult.
An incentive for local manufacturing?
Trump’s economic pitch is hinged on the idea that tariffs will motivate Americans to produce goods locally. Under basic economics, this should make agricultural produce cheaper. P explains that American companies are unlikely to pay workers $15 to $20 an hour. This is true if the same services can be outsourced for cheaper. In Bangladesh alone, garment workers are paid $113 monthly. Bangladesh is the second-largest exporter of clothing. Additionally, P says that the US agricultural workforce is composed of undocumented migrants. It’s estimated that more than half of crop workers in the US lack legal immigration status. With Trump vowing to implement mass deportations, the US may struggle to feed its population with local produce alone.
Published: Nov 12, 2024 05:43 am