In 2025, Mike Cox supported Trump’s tariffs, even though the U.S. stock market crashed and the tariffs were dooming Michiganders to a trade war and rising prices. Tariffs are contributing to higher food prices and are hurting Michigan small businesses, farmers, and families.
May 2025: Mike Cox Supported Donald Trump’s Tariff Policies And Said He Was “Confident The President Is Going To Move The Needle.” According to WXYZ, “Reporter: ‘Where do you stand on tariffs?’ Cox: ‘We all want jobs to stay here. Four uncles and aunts in the UAW. Big deal. The UAW is on board with the president. I know there’s uncertainty but I’m confident the president is going to move the needle,’ Cox said.” [WXYZ, 5/15/25]
April 2-4, 2025: The U.S. Stock Market Crashed As Trump’s Tariffs “Escalated A Global Trade War And Wiped Out Trillions Of Dollars In Value.” According to NPR, “Wall Street plummeted for a second straight day on Friday, as President Trump's tariffs escalated a global trade war and wiped out trillions of dollars in value from the U.S. stock market. The two-day selloff served as the financial community's most brutal warning yet about the potential fallout of Trump's trade policy. Investors, businesses, and consumers are all expressing mounting terror about how these sweeping new taxes could upend the global economy.” [NPR, 4/4/25]
HEADLINE: “Grocery Inflation Highest Since 2022 As Trump Tariffs Pile Up” [Axios, 9/16/25]
HEADLINE: “Detroit Boutique Owner Details Impacts Of Tariffs As Deadline For Deals Passes Without Ceremony” [Michigan Advance, 7/10/25]
November 2025: The Michigan Department of Agriculture And Rural Development Linked Trump’s Tariffs To Rising Prices And Plunging Farm Exports. According to Center Square, “The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported steep drops in farm exports in the first half of 2025, including an 89% decline in wheat and a 62% decline in cherries, as retaliatory tariffs cut off key markets. Food processors and packagers faced higher input costs, pushing food prices up and reducing disposable income for low-income families.” [Center Square, 11/7/25]
November 2025: State Of Michigan Report Warned Trump’s Tariffs Were Squeezing Family Budgets And Slowing Job Growth. According to News From The States, “A newly released multi-agency report from the state of Michigan warns that federal tariffs and retaliatory trade measures are driving up costs for families, homebuyers and workers across the state. […] The report cautions that higher food prices and rising housing costs may squeeze household budgets, particularly for lower-income families. Additionally, delayed or more expensive public projects could slow job creation and economic growth.” [News From The States, 11/6/25]
July 2025: The Peacock Room’s Rachel Lutz, A Detroit Small Business Owner, Warned That Trump’s Tariffs Hurt Local Shops Competing Against Big Corporations. According to Michigan Advance, “Rachel Lutz, the owner of The Peacock Room in Detroit, said she started her business by maxing out a $1,500 credit card, and had since grown to generating $1.5 million in revenue a year, creating 12 to 14 jobs. […] Lutz said she carries products from overseas to give a wide price range to her customers, noting that she serves a very mixed-income neighborhood in the city. ‘As a small business, we are competing against big, big players that ahead of the tariffs going into effect, they were able to ship massive amounts of inventory, warehouse them to buffer their impact from these tariffs. Small businesses like mine don’t have that capability. We don’t have those large pockets of capital to draw upon’ Lutz said, emphasizing that small businesses are particularly vulnerable to tariffs levied on consumer goods.” [Michigan Advance, 7/10/25]
April 2025: Image Works’ Chris Bennett, A Michigan Small Business Owner, Said Trump’s Tariffs Triggered A 24% Price Increase. According to Bridge Michigan, “When Chris Bennett heard President Donald Trump was imposing across-the-board tariffs on foreign imports, he expected price increases on the ink, paper and other supplies he uses in his Dearborn printshop. But Bennett didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. Trump on Wednesday announced sweeping ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, levying near-universal 10% taxes on foreign imports that took effect Saturday and promising even higher taxes on goods from China, Japan, the European Union and other nations starting April 9. By Friday afternoon, suppliers were notifying Bennett of a 24% price increase on the Epson ink cartridges, paper and printers used in his shop. The company, based in Japan, was passing on all costs from the new tariff Trump had proposed just days before. ‘So many people think it’ll just be Ford and the big corporations that will get hit with these price increases,’ said Bennett, whose Image Works shop specializes in archival-quality printing for photos and art. ‘I knew prices would go up for me. But 24% so quickly, within two or three days? That was pretty shocking.’” [Bridge Michigan, 4/7/25]