With tariffs signed, Trump warns of ‘pain’ to come for Americans

[libertybele]

Ok, this is going to go over well.     I can't stretch my wallet any further!

With tariffs signed, Trump warns of ‘pain’ to come for Americans

 A day after signing steep new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, President Donald Trump acknowledged what economists, members of Congress and even some of his own aides — in their previous lives — have been saying all along: Americans may find themselves paying the costs.

“THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” Trump posted, in all capital letters, on his Truth Social platform.

The message, which appeared in the hour before Trump arrived to his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf club for the second day in a row, amounted to an advance warning. Trump is serious about fulfilling his campaign promises to end illegal immigration, curb the flow of deadly drugs and rebalance continental trade.

But doing so will be uncomfortable, Trump is suggesting, and could serve to undermine another of his top campaign vows: lowering costs for Americans.
President Donald Trump arrives to the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 30 in Washington, DC.

Related live-story Trump signs tariffs on top trade partners as he enacts ‘America First’ agenda

“WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID,” Trump wrote. “WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE — AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!”

Instead of the new trade war lowering grocery or fuel prices, Trump on Sunday pointed to a result he never mentioned when he was running for president: annexing Canada as an American state.

“Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!” he said, repeating an idea he’s floated repeatedly since winning the election late last year.

As industries brace for the new tariffs — 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on imports from China — it remains to be seen how long it will take for higher costs to have an impact on American consumers. The tariffs are set to go into effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. ET.

In a tacit acknowledgement that upside pressures could affect Americans’ gas and heating costs, Trump levied only a 10% tariff on Canadian oil and gas.

Already, Canada and Mexico have moved to retaliate — reluctantly, in the case of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said during a somber address from Ottawa late Saturday: “We don’t want to be here.”

Canada’s former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, who is running to replace Trudeau as prime minister, said her country would rather not get into a trade war with the US but is determined to stand up for itself.

“We don’t want to have this fight, but we are not going to lose it,” she told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, calling it a “lose-lose” situation that will end up hurting Americans, since they depend on Canada for many basic goods. ...............

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/02/politics/us-tariffs-americans-pay-imports/index.html

[DB]

So again, has Trump articulated specifically what he is demanding from Canada?

About 64% of Canada's GDP is trade with the US. They can put on a brave face but it isn't a battle they can win - if Trump has justified cause to stick it out.

[DB]

I'll add that I don't really want Canada as a 51st state. They've voted to crush free speech and freedom in general. Don't need more voters who vote that way.

[Stevensr123]

So again, has Trump articulated specifically what he is demanding from Canada?

About 64% of Canada's GDP is trade with the US. They can put on a brave face but it isn't a battle they can win - if Trump has justified cause to stick it out.

His goals are Tariffs. People thinking they are being used as a tactic for better negotiations but he has said himself it doesn’t matter what they do, he is putting them on. He is hoping businesses move their operations into the states to get around them therefore creating jobs in the states. Problem is it WILL cause higher prices for consumers. You have to hope though with the extra revenue, tax cuts will offset those higher prices.

But another problem is a huge amount of people don’t pay tax already, so for those people prices will just hurt them with no benefit other than the hope they might be able to get a better job in 4 or 5 years times if/when companies shift their operations.

[libertybele]

I'll add that I don't really want Canada as a 51st state. They've voted to crush free speech and freedom in general. Don't need more voters who vote that way.

Here we are going into week number three of the Trump administration and with the tariffs and Trump wanting 'deals' with Greenland, Panama, Canada and Mexico, the vision of a more sound economy with Americans being able to keep more money, IMHO is questionable.

I think perhaps 'pain' is going to be an understatement...

Brandon set inflation soaring and perhaps in the long run things will be better.  It's a wait and see right now.

[DB]

Here we are going into week number three of the Trump administration and with the tariffs and Trump wanting 'deals' with Greenland, Panama, Canada and Mexico, the vision of a more sound economy with Americans being able to keep more money, IMHO is questionable.

I think perhaps 'pain' is going to be an understatement...

Brandon set inflation soaring and perhaps in the long run things will be better.  It's a wait and see right now.

There's a lot at play and a lot we don't know. I too have a wait and see attitude. I'm certainly willing to put up with some more pain just to shrink government which I didn't think was even an option.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

But another problem is a huge amount of people don’t pay tax already, so for those people prices will just hurt them with no benefit other than the hope they might be able to get a better job in 4 or 5 years times if/when companies shift their operations.

If one does not pay taxes of any sort then they have no skin in the game, especially if they receive any welfare.

EVERYONE should be paying taxes unless one is completely unable to do so due to health, age, or serious disability.  Any others have to adjust budgets and/or find work.

[Canuck Conservative]

I'll add that I don't really want Canada as a 51st state.

The "EU experiment" shows that integration of different countries doesn't work so well

And Canada doesn't want hordes of, um, well-tanned criminals invading us

Let's go with what the great Robert Frost said - "Good fences make good neighbours"

[which could be a reference to border security!]

[Timber Rattler]

His goals are Tariffs. People thinking they are being used as a tactic for better negotiations but he has said himself it doesn’t matter what they do, he is putting them on. He is hoping businesses move their operations into the states to get around them therefore creating jobs in the states. Problem is it WILL cause higher prices for consumers. You have to hope though with the extra revenue, tax cuts will offset those higher prices.

But another problem is a huge amount of people don’t pay tax already, so for those people prices will just hurt them with no benefit other than the hope they might be able to get a better job in 4 or 5 years times if/when companies shift their operations.

The Smoot-Hawley Tarriff was an economic disaster for the U.S. during the Great Depression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot%E2%80%93Hawley_Tariff_Act

But hey...pain is good for everybody because Trump says so, right?   

[Fishrrman]

"I'll add that I don't really want Canada as a 51st state..."

We don't need "ALL of" Canada.
But... the prairie provinces might be a worthy addition -- Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Along with the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Let Quebec become an independent nation. Many Euro-French will be looking for another French-speaking country when their own falls to islam.

Leave Ontario to merge with portions of Miinnesota, Wisconsin and northern Illinois. We should be happy to let those leftist areas go.

And don't forget to buy Greenland while we're at it.

Manifest Destiny, ho...!