📢 Tariffs, Turmoil, and the Trump Trade Scam: $14 Billion and Counting

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May 29, 2025

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Hi there! I want to talk about a critical issue following a major legal ruling. A bipartisan panel of judges from the U.S. Court of International Trade found that many of Trump’s tariffs were issued illegally. Not all of them—but enough to raise serious concerns. Shockingly, instead of enforcing accountability, the court is leaving it up to Trump and his inner circle to clean up the mess they created.

The ruling gave the executive branch up to 10 days to complete the bureaucratic process of ending them. The Trump administration immediately filed its plans to appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 1

That’s not just outrageous—it’s unacceptable.

We need to get loud. Now. We must demand Congress step in. Because trusting Trump and his inner circle to “fix” what they broke is like handing a matchbook to an arsonist and asking them to rebuild your house.

Why am I fired up about this? Because this isn’t a one-off. We’re still waiting for the Trump team to return people who were wrongfully sent to a torture prison in El Salvador. We’re still waiting for the return of stolen documents from his first term. And we’re still waiting for him to stop misappropriating funds—which courts have already ruled against.

So no—I don’t trust Trump to self-correct. And neither should you.

Now let’s talk about these tariffs. Or as I call them: Trump’s “Shoot America in the Foot First, Then Declare Victory” Policy.

Tariffs That Failed to Deliver—And Cost Us Globally

Donald Trump promised his tariffs would punish foreign adversaries and boost American industry. Instead, they've punished working families and strained global alliances—while gaining virtually nothing in return. Beneath the slogans of "America First" lies an expensive and dangerous economic strategy that has raised prices, destabilized trade partnerships, and cost U.S. households $14 billion in price hikes (Americans for Tax Fairness, 2025). That's not just a policy failure. It's economic sabotage dressed in nationalist bravado.

Friendly reminder, Trump and Republicans promised to lower prices and strengthen America’s position in the world. At a time when families are already struggling with rent, medical bills, and inflation, Trump's tariff tantrum is handing them the bill—while giving away U.S. leverage abroad. This isn't a strategy. It's a self-inflicted wound.

Let's be clear: tariffs are taxes on Americans. And Trump's trade war is a war on our wallets.

New data confirms that American households have already been hit with $14 billion in higher costs due to Trump's broad tariffs on imports (Americans for Tax Fairness, 2025). That's everything from groceries to electronics—products families rely on daily. Trump framed tariffs as a blow to China and other foreign powers, but the reality is that American consumers are paying the price.

The psychology behind this policy is textbook Trump: create a public enemy, wrap retaliation in patriotic language, and ignore the real economic consequences. But economic nationalism doesn't pay the rent. It doesn't put food on the table. And it doesn't build resilient, long-term American prosperity.

At a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, Chair Ron Wyden issued a scathing rebuke: "Trump's tariff war has done more to damage global supply chains than to strengthen them" (U.S. Senate Finance Committee, 2025). Wyden's assessment underscores the deeper issue—Trump's actions haven't just hurt households. They've undermined America's global economic position.

After years of escalating tariffs, the Trump administration caved to pressure from allies and adversaries alike. In backpedaling negotiations with China and the UK, Trump gave up key leverage without securing meaningful gains for American workers or farmers (NBC News, 2025). The result? Our trading partners now view us as erratic and unreliable.

It's one thing to start a trade war. It's another to lose it badly—and that's exactly what's happening.

Trump's tariffs aren't just hurting consumers—they're bleeding state budgets. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently warned that Trump's new round of tariffs could slash California's revenues by $16 billion (Los Angeles Times, 2025). That money would otherwise fund schools, roads, clean energy jobs, and wildfire prevention.

This is how Trump's policies hollow out the very communities he claims to protect. Working families suffer higher costs. States lose funding. Meanwhile, Trump claims he is doing “amazing” things for America.

We cannot allow Trump's economic smoke-and-mirrors game to go unchallenged. Here's how we fight back:

Expose the lie: Tariffs are taxes on Americans. And they're hurting us, not "them."
Tell our stories: If you are feeling the pressure at the pump, grocery stores, etc. start speaking up.
Push for economic policies that lift us all: We need trade policies that protect labor rights, climate, and local economies—not ego-driven vendettas. We need to push our members of Congress to end these tariffs.

This is about building a sustainable economy that works for the people, not just billionaires and trade negotiators.

Power to the People Means Ending the Trump Tariff Scam

Trump's tariff strategy was never about economic progress. It was about performance—appearing tough, blaming others, and distracting from the real cost to American families. But now the data is in, and the price tag is real: $14 billion drained from our pockets, state budgets slashed, and our global standing weakened.

We must keep showing up. We must keep speaking out because power belongs in the hands of the people—not in the hands of a man who uses policy as a weapon for personal power.

Let's organize, mobilize, and ensure our economic future is written by us—not imposed by those who profit off our pain.

Today’s call to action

Click here to Investigate Trump and Musk’s Corrupt Tariff Scheme
Call your Member of Congress (202) 224-3121 and use or edit the script below:
- Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m calling to urge you to take action to end Trump’s illegal tariffs. A bipartisan court just ruled many of these tariffs were unlawfully imposed, and yet enforcement is being left to the same people who caused the problem. These tariffs are nothing but a tax on American families—costing us $14 billion and damaging our economy. Congress must act now to end this failed policy and protect working families.
- *** Click here to send a message to your Member of Congress. Feel free to use the call script above. This editable template is delivered instantly and can be used daily to raise your concerns.
- Click here to send a message to Congress: Stop the $5.5 trillion billionaire tax scam
- Click here to tell Office of Personnel Management: Don’t let Donald Trump politicize the Government
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