Trump Acknowledges His Tariffs May Cause ‘Pain’ for Americans

The president signed an executive order on Saturday imposing additional tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China

On Sunday, President Trump acknowledged that his plan to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China will likely cause “pain” for Americans but insisted it will be worth it to bring about a “golden age” in America.

The president wrote on Truth Social: “THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!).”

The post came a day after Trump signed an executive order increasing tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico by 25% and an increase of 10% on goods from China, which will raise costs for consumers in the US. The order includes a carve-out that will raise tariffs on Canadian oil and gas only by 10%.

Trump tied the tariffs to the flow of fentanyl and other opioids through the US’s northern and southern border. Reducing the flow of fentanyl into the US is extremely difficult because its high potency means traffickers can smuggle massive numbers of doses in tiny, hard-to-detect packages.

In his executive order, Trump accused Canada of “failing to devote sufficient attention and resources or meaningfully coordinate with United States law enforcement partners to effectively stem the tide of illicit drugs.”

Trump also tied his tariffs to what he calls US “subsidies” for Canada, which appears to refer to the trade deficit and also likely US funding for NORAD, which provides joint defense for the US and Canada.

“Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Another aspect of Trump’s strategy is to try to incentivize more companies to manufacture goods inside the US. “MAKE YOUR PRODUCT IN THE USA AND THERE ARE NO TARIFFS!” Trump wrote.

In response to Trump’s executive order, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on US imports, and Mexico vowed some would be imposed soon. China has said it will file a legal complaint with the World Trade Organization and warned of other potential “countermeasures.”

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.