Trump’s policies on tariffs, deportations will increase costs

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 29, 2025

When Donald Trump campaigned for the presidency, much of his appeal rested on promises to lower costs for everyday Americans. Yet, as his policies unfold, it is becoming clear that his actions are likely to do just the opposite.

While Trump vowed to tackle high drug prices, his administration’s approach to deregulation and its cozy relationship with pharmaceutical companies risks leaving consumers paying more, not less. Meanwhile, his love of tariffs on imports, increases the cost of goods ranging from electronics to clothing. Tariffs are essentially taxes that businesses pass on to consumers, hitting lower and middle-income families the hardest.

Even food prices and housing are affected. Trump’s hardline immigration stance will disrupt the agricultural labor force and construction trades, driving up the cost of food and homes. The rollback of environmental protections could lead to hidden costs in the form of health impacts and environmental cleanup, expenses society will bear over time.

Insurance premiums are skyrocketing across the country due to increasingly frequent and severe climate-related disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires, and so-called “hundred-year events” that now occur multiple times a decade. Despite this, Trump’s day-one agenda includes plans to dismantle initiatives designed to combat climate change.

The paradox is glaring. Trump promised to ease financial burdens but is enacting policies that seriously raise costs. If Trump were REALLY serious about cutting prices, he’d simply ask his billionaire buddies to cut the price of Teslas, rockets, iPhones and everything else at Amazon.

Mark Rohde

Snohomish