Trump is Terrified of Tariff Blowback

MAGA oligarchs’ policies threaten to ruin Christmas

This week, Donald Trump spotlighted for pro-democracy forces his greatest political vulnerability. He gave it away on Tuesday, in his tiff with Amazon founder (and Washington Post owner) Jeff Bezos.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt scolded Amazon for its “hostile and political” plan, reportedly to display price increases attributable to Trump’s consumer tax (i.e., tariffs). Trump followed up with a telephone call to Bezos, no doubt delivering a tongue-lashing.

Unsurprisingly, the timorous Bezos—who sacrificed the Post’s independent editorial judgment to curry favor with Trump—was all too ready to give way in the face of Trump’s temper tantrum. As The New York Times reported:

“Amazon spokesmen hurriedly issued denials that the policy was going into effect, and by Tuesday afternoon Mr. Trump was back to praising Mr. Bezos.” (Even though Amazon won’t break out the tariff component of the price hikes, a price analysis software tool shows that, since mid-April, sellers on Amazon have raised their prices on nearly 1,000 products.

Notwithstanding Bezos’s embarrassing weakness, the lesson should not be lost on Trump opponents. He is, and always has been, hyper-sensitive to taking heat. In this case, it’s for raising consumers’ costs. Accordingly, defenders of democracy and marketplace transparency should double down on their campaign to hold Republicans responsible for soaring prices.

Democratic governors and state legislatures certainly can pass laws requiring retailers to display prominently the tariff price hikes. Consumers know how much they pay in sales tax. Why not tell them how much the Trump tax adds? In any case, Democrats should (and will) publish and regularly update a list of, say, 100 popular consumer items to reflect the Trump consumer tax.

This is especially true in light of the number of companies that have had to halt production for the holiday season, in what MSNBC is covering as the trade war that stole Christmas:

If Trump wants to conceal the consumer tax he is levying on Americans, voters might direct their outrage not only at Trump but at the spineless Republican lawmakers who refuse to reclaim the power to lay tariffs.

Tying dreaded cost increases to Trump and his supine Republican allies should not be a heavy lift. Two-thirds already disapprove of tariffs. “Even nearly half of Republicans—47% in the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Friday—said they think tariffs will negatively impact inflation,” ABC News reported. “That jumps to 75% among independents, a swing group in national politics.” Gallup had even worse news for Trump:

“Most U.S. adults, at 89%, do find it ‘very likely’ or ‘somewhat likely’ that the levies will end up increasing the cost of goods for American consumers.”

Trump knows how badly his tariffs have been received. Just as he did when bullying Bezos, the president revealed his anxiety over a public backlash when he “walked back some tariffs for carmakers, removing levies that Ford, General Motors and others have complained would backfire on U.S. manufacturing by raising the cost of production and squeezing their profits,” although he refused to offer relief on steel and aluminum used in car-making.

Opportunities abound for Democrats to practice some political jujitsu. Trump has said (bizarrely; typically) he made it possible for Americans to say “Merry Christmas” again (playing up the paranoia and victim complex in his White Christian nationalist base).

Democrats soon may be able to retort: “Trump stole Christmas from your kids.”

You’re a Mean One, Mr. Trump

The New York Times reports that toy makers and retailers are already stalling orders and production as they try to assess the tariffs. Given that “China produce[s] nearly 80 percent of all toys and 90 percent of Christmas goods sold in America,” and in light of the lead time needed to fill the shelves, it could be a grim holiday season:

“We have a frozen supply chain that is putting Christmas at risk,” said Greg Ahearn, chief executive of the Toy Association, a U.S. industry group representing 850 toy manufacturers. “If we don’t start production soon, there’s a high probability of a toy shortage this holiday season.”

Trump and his lackeys’ indifferent response to the possibility of empty shelves sounds peculiarly similar to “Bah humbug!”

In case you doubt the political efficacy of running against tariff bullies, look what Trump’s tariff wars did for liberals in Canada. Going from a near-certain drubbing to an upset win in national elections, Prime Minister Mark Carney declared after his victory:

“My message to every Canadian is this: No matter where you live, no matter what language you speak, no matter how you voted, I will always do my best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.”

Democrats can adopt a similar message of defiance and patriotic defense. As Carney did, they should spend every day vowing to “never yield” to Trump and his awful economic shenanigans. With the U.S. and global economies anticipating a hit from inflation, lower growth, and scarce inventory (thanks to Trump), Democrats must be emphatic on two points:

• First: Trump’s tariffs broke the economy, while Republicans refused to lift a finger to stop him.

• Second, the concerns of working- and middle-class families must be championed. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker spelled it out in visceral terms last weekend when he vowed to “fight [MAGA] cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have.” Standing up for the people whom Trump has hurt must be central to our agenda.

Trump can bully Bezos into submission, but he cannot prevent Democrats from demanding accountability for Americans’ financial woes—nor from urging them to throw out of power the Grinch’s Trump’s allies in 2026. It’s up to them to seize the opportunity, and up to the collective to support those efforts.