'Necessary' or 'bullying our friends?' Americans differ starkly on Trump tariffs
Americans across the country weighed in on President Donald Trump's tariffs and ensuing trade war in interviews with Fox News Digital, offering mixed opinions on whether he's headed down the right economic track.
Trump recently raised tariffs for some of the world’s biggest economic powers, but on Wednesday announced a temporary halt in tariff increases to allow for negotiations, with the exception of China.
With a 90-day pause, all countries, aside from China, temporarily return to the 10% baseline tariff rate, which went into effect on April 2, and applies to all imports to the U.S., a move which caused some drastic market volatility.
"It's very unfortunate that it's come down to these tariff wars," Charles from Mississippi told Fox News Digital, before the pause went into effect. "But I think it's something that we have to endure to get back to an even playing field in this world."
Other Americans, who spoke with Fox News Digital before this week's tariff pause, offered varying responses.
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"I think they're aggressive, but probably needed," Nancy from North Carolina said.
Folks from Birmingham, Mich., offered starkly different takes. While Steve said the tariffs were "great," Ford saw the president as a bully.
"They're great," Steve said. "I think they're great for our country and going to be great for our country in the long run. Little hiccup right now, but in the long run, we'll be way better off."
"He's bullying our friends and all the country, the whole world, and he's trying to get things to change by bullying people," Ford said.
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Shane of Lexington, Ky., seemed to concur.
"I disagree with them strongly," he said of the tariffs. "I believe he's trying to take advantage of our influence in the world."
"I don't think that they are the appropriate move to make," Mary in Washington, D.C., said of the tariffs.
"The changes that it brings will be negative for the people that really need the change, like people in the middle of America or people that are counting on good markets."
Some argued the tariffs were too "broad."
"You can use tariffs for a very limited purpose, which is if you have a particular country where they are dumping or doing some other, or erecting certain barriers, you can use a tariff to counteract that," David from Birmingham said. "But a broad-based tariff policy doesn't work, hasn't worked in history. It won't work now, either."
"They're too broad," Shane from Lexington, Ky., said. "I think he's kind of taken a scattering approach to imposing these tariffs where he could, if we wanted to do this to make it more fair for us."
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Others were of the opinion that while at the moment there's some economic volatility, it'll eventually flatten out and have a positive effect.
"The tariffs are a necessary way to get things back to being fair in our world," Charles from Mississippi said. "I think it's unfortunate that things have gotten so far out of balance."
"In the long run, they're going to be good," agreed Glen from Knoxville. "I think that right now we're going to feel the effects of it from the economy, but it will probably for a few months. But I think, in the longer run, it's going to work out."
"The market's been volatile in the past, and I think the markets will calm down," Howard from North Carolina said. "I don't think it's a permanent volatility to the markets."
Fox News' Daniella Genovese and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi reported from Knoxville, Tenn., Elizabeth Heckman reported from Houston, Texas, Gabriel Hays reported from Washington, D.C., and Joshua Nelson reported from Birmingham, Mich.