Since President Donald Trump announced his bold tariff strategy — aimed at leveling the playing field by placing reciprocal tariffs on nations that tax American-made goods and bolstering U.S. manufacturing — media pundits and “experts” have been tripping over themselves to predict economic doom.
But once again, the political class is out of touch with the American people, who understand what is at stake and largely support President Trump’s correction of an upside-down approach to global trade that has left the United States manufacturing sector hollowed out and carried dire economic and political consequences.
In a robust new Harvard CAPS-Harris survey from April 9-10, over half of the country — 53 percent — says that tariffs are necessary medicine for the United States to get a fair shake in global trade.
Americans assert that China has taken advantage of the United States for far too long and believe President Trump’s tariffs are the right strategy to take but require patience for the U.S. to reap the economic benefits.
The largest share of Americans — 48 percent — say that the Trump Administration’s tariffs are the right idea but require more patience to work. 31 percent of Americans say Trump’s tariffs are the wrong idea entirely, and a mere 21 percent say tariffs are the right idea but have been executed poorly. The message is clear: Americans are willing to shoulder short-term discomfort if it means long-term strength for our economy and a revival of U.S. manufacturing.
70 percent of Republicans, 44 percent of independents and even 29 percent of Democrats say they have faith in Trump’s tariff strategy but that more patience is required for the tariffs to do their job and bolster U.S. economy.
The survey also found Americas largely agree with President Trump’s assertion that for far too long trade deals have been structured to leave Americas at a global disadvantage while benefiting nations like China.
A full 59 of Americans say China is taking advantage of the United States on trade, with 72 percent of Republicans, 57 percent of independents and even 46 percent of Democrats agreeing that China has been taking advantage of the United States on trade.
This low opinion of the United States’ trade relationship with China echoes a March survey from the Pew Research Center, which found that Americans have the lowest view of trade with China between three major trading partners, and say 46 percent to ten percent our trade relationship with China benefits China more than Americans.
Unsurprisingly, the Harvard CAPS-Harris poll found substantial support for placing reciprocal tariffs on other nations that place tariffs on American-made goods, with 57 percent of Americans supporting placing reciprocal tariffs on nations that place tariffs on U.S. goods.
When asked directly if President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs should be maintained or removed, a majority of Americans — 52 percent — either say that reciprocal tariffs should be maintained for the foreseeable future or at least until other nations remove their tariffs on U.S.-made goods. Only 20 percent of Americans want reciprocal tariffs removed on our largest trading partners — including the EU and China — without those regions reciprocating. 28 percent would have tariffs removed altogether.
Half of Americans also support placing tariffs on goods imported from China, Mexico, and Canada, to encourage U.S. manufacturing specifically.
There is relatively strong bipartisan support for President Trump’s ascertain that tariffs are necessary to even the playing field in global trade. Republicans say by over a three-to-one margin that tariffs are necessary to give the United States a fair shake in global trade, with 78 percent of Republicams supporting tariffs while 22 percent oppose them.
Independents are split, with 50 percent saying tariffs are necessary to give the United States a fair shake in global trade and 50 percent opposing tariffs, and Democrats say 72 percent to 28 percent that tariffs are unnecessary.
Still, the fact that nearly 30 percent of Democrats believe tariffs are necessary to course-correct a trading scheme that has left the United States at a significant disadvantage is very telling.
While the Harvard CAPS-Harris survey did not break down support for tariffs by union and non-union households, polling from The Economist/YouGov found strong support for tariffs among whites without a college-degree, a group which just a decade ago leaned heavily Democrat.
According to the YouGov survey from Aril 8-11, whites without college degree support tariffs on imported goods by ten points, 55 percent to 45 percent, while whites with a college degree oppose tariffs by eighteen points, 59 percent to 41 percent.
Democrats in Rust Belt states are having to walk a fine line between opposing tariffs because President Trump is the one implementing them, while simultaneously attempting to recoup losses among working-class white voters who have been knocked sideways by global trade.
Even organized labor is speaking out. Unions, which historically represented working-class whites and aligned with the Democratic Party, have been straddling the line between support for President Trump’s tariffs and sticking with the modern, anti-Trump wing of the Democratic Party.
In an interview with the Boston Herold on Tuesday, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien expressed his frustration with Democrats for having “lost the working class” and said if Trump’s tariffs bring back “good-paying, middle-class jobs,” it is worth all the pain.
United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain also went on the record in late March praising Trump’s move to place tariffs on vehicles and auto parts imported into the U.S., calling them a “tool in the toolbox” to bolster U.S. manufacturing.
If Democrats are not careful, their reluctance to find a long-term solution to the manufacturing crisis and even the playing field on global trade could drive a permanent wedge between themselves and what remains of their support from the working-class.
While Americans express concern for higher prices due to the implementation of tariffs on cheap foreign goods, a majority of voters are willing to endure higher prices in the short-term in order to reap a more robust U.S. economy in the years to come. Americans are also well aware that trade partners like China have been taking advantage of the United States for decades and express strong support for President Trump’s plan to level the playing field.
Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.
Reproduced with permission. Original here: Poll: Americans Say China Has Been Taking Advantage Of The U.S. On Trade And Support Using Tariffs To Even The Playing Field
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