AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Ex-Biden-Harris campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates skewered President Donald Trump’s tariffs plan as “the biggest tax increase on working families since the Great Depression” in a new and scathing broadside against the president.
In the column for MeidasTouch published to Substack Saturday, Bates argued that the economic pain of Trump’s trade policies is obvious to “every single American,” as the White House continues to insist otherwise.
He took specific aim at Stephen Miran, Trump’s newly promoted Council of Economic Advisers chair, who told Fox Business on Friday there had been “no material macroeconomic impact” from tariffs.
“It’s not hard to see why Miran had trouble keeping a straight face,” Bates jibed, pointing to layoffs in manufacturing and soaring grocery bills.
“Imagine telling the surging number of manufacturing workers who’ve been laid off that losing your job isn’t ‘material,'” Bates continued, pointing to economics analysis by USA Today and CNBC. “Or telling a single parent that the extra money every single one of them
The critique went far beyond economics as Bates accused Trump of corruption, cronyism, and broken promises.
He pointed to the president’s plan to build a new White House ballroom to reneging on his pledge to release Department of Justice files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump’s pitch to voters, Bates claimed, boils down to: “Sure, I’m an a**hole. But this a**hole is on your side.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he added, accusing Trump of enriching himself and his allies while ordinary Americans foot the bill.
“‘Let them eat tariffs’ is a very elitist way for a self-described ‘populist’ to lead,” Bates concluded. “That’s because Trump is not a populist at all. He’s just an a**hole.”