Trump Mercilessly Mocked Over Frighteningly False Tariff Claim
Mark Cuban joined a number of critics who mocked Donald Trump on Saturday after the Republican presidential nominee’s false claim that imposing tariffs doesn’t “affect our country.”
The former president, in a meandering speech at a campaign rally, pledged to impose tariffs on foreign-made products from China and other countries in order to bring jobs “back home” in an effort to take in “billions and billions of dollars.”
“A tariff is a tax on a foreign country, that’s the way it is, whether you like it or not. A lot of people like to say, ‘Oh, it’s a tax on us.’ No, no, no,” Trump told the crowd at the rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
He later added, “It’s a tax on a country that’s ripping us off and stealing our jobs. And it’s a tax that doesn’t affect our country.”
Trump has previously pushedthe false claim on tariffs despite multiplemediaoutlets noting that American consumers and industries have bore much of the cost of Trump’s tariffs.
Several economists recently told Newsweek that his tariff proposal would raise prices for U.S. consumers and that such a plan would hurt American companies as well.
Trump: A tariff is a tax on a foreign country. A lot of people like to say it’s a tax on us. No… It’s is a tax that doesn’t affect our country. pic.twitter.com/NNyNthZbKg
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 17, 2024
Cuban, a billionaire and frequent Trump critic, took to social media to question the former president’s tariff claim.
“Any importers want to explain how they deal with tariffs on say food or agricultural products ?” he wrote on X, formerly called Twitter.
Any importers want to explain how they deal with tariffs on say food or agricultural products ? https://t.co/z50uWZEogr
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) August 17, 2024
Robert Shrum, director of the University of Southern California Center for the Political Future and a speechwriter for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), called Trump’s remarks “simply economically illiterate.”
“No wonder he apparently had a mediocre record at Wharton,” Shrum wrote, referring to Trump’s alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance.
This is simply economically illiterate. No wonder he apparently had a mediocre record at Wharton. https://t.co/EaKMPbdY0S
— Robert Shrum (@BobShrum) August 17, 2024
You can check out more reactions to Trump’s remarks below:
Is anyone out there in the media going to fact check the guy who was President for 4 years and still doesn't know how tariffs work? https://t.co/4G5ZPZ368I
— I Smoked J.D. Vance's Wig (@BlackKnight10k) August 18, 2024
Here are a few of the many studies showing that Americans paid (and are still paying) Trump's tariffs: https://t.co/UPumJyP7eZpic.twitter.com/RhzFfxA2Fi
— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) August 17, 2024
Does he really not understand who pays the tariff? https://t.co/HvjxRVUrdG
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) August 18, 2024
Trump flunks Econ 101: https://t.co/srOh14N5A3
— Brad Polumbo 🇺🇸⚽️🏳️🌈 (@brad_polumbo) August 17, 2024
Honest to Pete I don’t have the energy to do this for another 4 years. https://t.co/NP8SIPwiPK
— Kai Ryssdal (@kairyssdal) August 17, 2024