Better than anyone · Second term · № 61

Nobody knows more

'Nobody understood tariffs like I understood tariffs'

“Nobody understood tariffs like I understood tariffs.”
Said
, Remarks to U.S. servicemembers with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Yokosuka, Japan
Subject
tariffs
Topic
Trade & tariffs
Era
Second term

What the record showed

On April 2, 2025 he said 'I've been talking about it for 40 years,' and on May 8, 2025 that tariffs 'are the most misunderstood thing, maybe in any form of business.' The Tax Foundation estimated the 2025 average effective tariff rate at 7.7 percent, the highest since 1947, costing about $1,000 per household in 2025 and $820 in 2026. On February 20, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the president cannot impose tariffs under IEEPA and ordered refunds with interest.

Sources

  1. Remarks to United States Servicemembers With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan in Yokosuka, Japan The American Presidency Project, Oct 28, 2025
  2. Remarks Announcing Additional United States Tariff Actions on Foreign Imports The American Presidency Project, Apr 2, 2025
  3. Remarks With Prime Minister Keir Starmer Announcing a United States Trade Agreement With the United Kingdom The American Presidency Project, May 8, 2025
  4. Trump Tariffs Tracker: Rates, Revenue, and Impact Tax Foundation, Sep 1, 2026