Top Democrat Hits Trump From the Right On EU Tariffs: ‘Get it Down to Zero’
Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D), who is considered a potential top 2028 presidential contender for the Democrats, ripped President Donald Trump’s trade deal with the European Union, arguing that the “goal” should be zero tariffs — staking out a more classically conservative stance on free trade.
Polis joined MSNBC’s Al Sharpton on Sunday, who summed up Trump’s new deal, saying, “Let’s start with the breaking news on trade, Governor. Trump says that the tariffs’ rate will now be 15 percent, and European countries will invest another $600 billion in the U.S. and buy $750 billion worth of energy from the U.S. Tariffs against the E.U. were supposed to go up to 30 percent on Friday alongside other countries, including Mexico.”
“You were just at this meeting of U.S. governors,” noted Sharpton of Polis hosting the National Governors Association over the weekend. “How are the president’s on-again, off-again trade battles impacting state economies?” he asked.
“Look, under President Obama and President Biden, we were talking about a one to three percent tariff tax on exports to Europe, on imports from Europe. The goal would be to get it down to zero,” Polis replied, adding:
Fifteen percent is much worse. That means 15 percent higher costs on every item that we buy that comes from Europe, and it means Europeans are paying more on American products, making our made-in-America products less competitive overseas.
So is it better than 30 percent? Of course, it’s better than 30 percent, but it’s going the wrong way. It’s hurting jobs in the United States, it’s hurting Europe—our best allies—and it’s raising costs for Americans by 15 percent. It’s just like a sales tax.
Trump’s long-stated goal in imposing sweeping global tariffs was to erase all trade barriers and balance trade deficits, something many economists argue isn’t actually a bad thing for the economy.
Polis has long been an advocate for free trade and slammed the Biden administration in May of 2024 for putting additional tariffs on goods from China.
“This is horrible news for American consumers and a major setback for clean energy. Tariffs are a direct, regressive tax on Americans and this tax increase will hit every family,” Polis wrote at the time, warning the move would only increase inflation. He then offered his own three-step plan to curb inflation and get the economy moving again:
How to successfully reduce inflation:
1) Drop tariffs
2) Repeal Jones Act
3) Create bipartisan fiscal commission (the signal alone will help reduce inflation)
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
