Former Strategist Comments on Democrats and Trump’s Tariffs

Dan Trenine, a former strategist for the Democratic Party, shared his thoughts on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” suggesting that he believes many Democrats aren’t actually against President Donald Trump’s tariffs. He remarked that the party lacks a clear economic agenda.

On the same show, Trump talked about the possibility of issuing rebate checks to Americans following a $27 billion budget surplus in June. When asked by host Jesse Watters whether Democrats would resist such checks, Trenine responded, “Everyone loves Santa Claus. So it’s a smart move.”

This budget surplus emerged after Trump declared his “liberation date” in April. Although he announced a 90-day suspension on certain tariffs, that initial decision led to intense negotiations with various countries following the implementation of a 10% base tax rate.

Watters questioned Trenine about the juxtaposition of opposing tariffs yet supporting rebate checks. Trenine stated, “I don’t believe many Democrats are truly against tariffs. They may critique Trump’s approach, but overall, we lack a cohesive economic strategy. Are we saying we want to favor free trade? It’s now really up to Trump.”

Trump has wrapped up significant agreements with nations, including Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Iraq. However, Democrats appear reluctant to acknowledge his achievements due to their previous opposition to the initial tariffs. Back in April, a group of twelve Democratic leaders filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that tariffs had been imposed arbitrarily rather than based on legitimate authority.

As reported by Reuters, the Treasury Department mentioned that the U.S. is currently bringing in approximately $100 billion from tariffs, which could potentially increase to $300 billion by 2025.