‘They did sign up for it’: Trump shrugs tariff chaos and claims this is what voters wanted

President Donald Trump recently reaffirmed his trade policies, especially his continued trade war with China, stating that the American people knew and accepted the possible negative outcomes when they elected him. This comment came after an ABC News interview where he responded to worries about economic instability caused by the broad global tariffs he announced on April 2.

As reported by The Independent and Business Insider, experts estimate these tariffs might cost American households thousands of dollars each year. Trump defended his actions by arguing that past trade deals hurt the United States, leading to major daily and yearly financial losses. Trump said, “Well, they did sign up for it, actually. And this is what I campaigned on. I said that we’ve been abused by other countries at levels that nobody’s ever seen before.”

He said these losses were too large to ignore and required his involvement, presenting the tariffs as a needed step to “correct” the problem. He also mentioned that he had wanted to take such action for years, pointing to what he sees as his successful economic leadership during his first term.

Trump claims Americans signed up for tariffs

The effects of these tariffs could reach beyond big companies, putting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) at serious risk. Experts like Christopher Tsai, President and Chief Investment Officer of Tsai Capital, raised concerns about how little time businesses have to adjust to these sudden changes.

Tsai emphasized the danger to SMEs, which make up about 44% of the U.S. economy, and cautioned that the tariffs might trigger a recession. The White House has not yet commented on these concerns.

Recent polls from Reuters/Ipsos show declining support for Trump’s economic policies, dropping to 36%, the lowest level during his current and past presidency. On the other hand, disapproval of his economic decisions rose to 56%, a five-point increase compared to his first term.

Despite these worries and his falling approval numbers, President Trump remained fully optimistic in his ABC interview, saying “great times” were coming. This strong confidence clashes with the fear felt by many economists and the general public. The next few months will show whether the president’s prediction is accurate or if the economic fallout from his trade war is worse than expected.