Jeff Van Drew has backed Trump’s new tariffs, calling them “reciprocal” and saying they put “America first,” even though experts say they mostly raise prices on U.S. consumers. Studies from the Federal Reserve, IMF, and others show that almost all the costs of tariffs fall on U.S. importers and shoppers, making goods more expensive. The Congressional Budget Office estimates Trump’s 2025 tariffs will boost inflation by about 0.4 percentage points and cut household buying power. Real-world examples, like the washer tariffs that raised appliance prices by double digits, show how these policies hit everyday families. Even Wall Street analysts and polls agree: tariffs make things cost more.
¶ Van Drew publicly supported Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs
- In an April 2025 Fox Business interview, Van Drew defended the new tariffs as “about fairness” and “America first,” calling them “reciprocal tariffs” and acknowledging early “bumps,” a clear endorsement of the policy. Fox
- Coverage of the same interview quotes Van Drew saying the U.S. has “been getting the short end of the stick for years” and reiterating his support for reciprocal tariffs. MySanAntonio
¶ Tariffs are largely passed through to U.S. importers and consumers, raising prices
- Peer-reviewed research on the 2018–2019 tariff waves found near-complete pass-through of U.S. tariffs to import prices and welfare losses for U.S. consumers and firms. NBER
- An IMF study using border and retail microdata found U.S. tariffs were “almost fully passed through” at the border to U.S. importers, with downstream retail prices rising in many categories. IMF
- A Federal Reserve analysis found the 2018–2019 tariffs fully and quickly passed through to consumer prices; applying the method in 2025 shows new tariffs already lifting core goods prices. Federal Reserve
¶ The 2025 tariff regime is measurably lifting inflation and household costs
- The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated Trump’s 2025 tariffs would raise consumer and capital goods prices and boost inflation by about 0.4 percentage points in 2025–2026, reducing households’ purchasing power. Reuters
- CBO’s findings were similarly reported by AP: tariffs shrink the economy and raise inflation, cutting into household purchasing power. AP
- July 2025 inflation reporting noted core inflation picked up as tariffs pushed imported-goods prices higher. NBC Chicago
- Bank of America analysts estimated the 2025 tariffs added roughly 30–50 basis points to core PCE inflation, with consumers bearing a majority of the costs. Business Insider
- A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 73% of Americans expected higher prices within six months after the tariff announcement, reflecting broad recognition that tariffs raise consumer costs. Reuters/Ipsos
¶ Concrete case studies show tariffs raising prices on everyday goods
- The American Economic Review documented that 2018 washer tariffs raised washer prices nearly 12% and, via complementarities, lifted dryer prices similarly—clear consumer price increases. AER
- NBER’s detailed study on washers confirms sizable consumer price hikes and illustrates how protection can spill over to related products. NBER
- A nontechnical NBER digest summarizes that U.S. consumers bore the brunt of the trade-war tariffs through higher prices and reduced real income. NBER Digest
¶ Expert syntheses concur that tariffs have raised U.S. consumer prices
- Brookings’ roundup of empirical studies concludes U.S. companies and consumers primarily paid for U.S. tariffs, with costs passed on as higher prices and lower real incomes. Brookings
¶ SEE ALSO:
Trump’s Tariffs Are A Grocery Tax On Americans A universal import tariff and add-ons that flow straight into food prices.