From PJMedia.com
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump took decisive action to restore America’s economic sovereignty and protect American workers by imposing reciprocal tariffs in response to unfair foreign trade practices. Declaring the persistent U.S. trade deficit a national emergency, Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose a baseline 10% tariff on all countries, with higher, individualized tariffs for nations with the largest trade imbalances.
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Such measures aim to correct decades of trade policies that have hollowed out American manufacturing, undermined national security, and left critical industries dependent on foreign adversaries. The administration’s plan allows for modifications, increasing tariffs in response to retaliation or reducing them if trading partners take steps toward fair trade. Certain essential goods, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and energy products, are exempt to ensure national security and economic stability.
Unfortunately, these tariffs aren’t just getting pushback from the left but also from some on the right, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who called them the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history, claiming they would cost American families over $3,500 per year.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) appeared on CNN with Kaitlan Collins to defend Trump’s new auto tariffs. Moreno dismissed concerns about rising car prices and took aim at Pence’s criticism.
When Collins questioned whether consumers would feel the pain of higher car prices, Moreno pointed out that car sales are still strong and that dealerships have plenty of inventory. “March had the record car sales,” he said. “Sales are booming. If somebody’s really concerned, they can buy a car today at dealer inventory and not have to worry about the tariff at all.”
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Moreno also argued that the tariffs are necessary to revitalize American industry.
“If we keep cutting out our middle class, who are we gonna sell these cars to?” he asked, citing Henry Ford’s principle that well-paid workers can buy the products they create.
On the issue of foreign-made parts in U.S. cars, Moreno noted that vehicles meeting the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are tariff-free.
“The only ones that are mostly hurt are the cars made overseas exclusively and shipped into the U.S.,” he explained.
Related: Here’s Why Trump Will Win the Tariff Standoff
Moreno also rejected the idea of “short-term pain,” explaining that the auto industry has enough inventory to avoid immediate price hikes.
“You really won’t feel that at the dealership for a little bit of time,” he said.
The conversation shifted when Collins asked about Pence’s criticism. The former vice president had called the tariffs “the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history.”
Moreno didn’t hold back in his response. “No offense to Mike Pence; he’s never run anything other than a political campaign,” he said. “This is not a business guy. He’s repeating talking points.”
He also accused Pence and other long-time politicians of being complicit in the decline of American industry: “What President Trump is doing is reversing the policies of people like Mike Pence who sold this country out, that over decades gutted our industrial sector, shipped our jobs overseas.”
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WATCH: Last night, @berniemoreno joined CNN’s Kaitlan Collins to discuss Trump’s tariffs.
“We need cars made here in America that are sold here in America.” pic.twitter.com/Ih8cc2zFwE
— Team Moreno (@teammoreno2024) April 3, 2025
Whether it’s career politicians clinging to the status quo or the left’s predictable outrage machine, the resistance to these tariffs speaks more to protecting foreign interests than to safeguarding America’s future. At the end of the day, reviving the middle class and restoring American economic independence will require bold steps, and that’s what Trump is doing.
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All articles possibly rephrased by InfoArmed.com