Dems claim Trump tariff could 'drive up' costs despite deflecting blame from Biden's inflation

Trump signed an executive order Saturday night to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada and a 10% tax on all imports from China, fulfilling a promise he made during his 2024 presidential campaign as a way to circumvent drug trafficking into the U.S. 

"This is a terrible idea," Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said in a statement. "Folks are already struggling to get ahead because of high prices, and now President Trump is about to drive up grocery and gas prices while raising costs on Arizona businesses."

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., claimed Trump's tariffs "could cost a typical family $1,200 per year," while Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said that "President Trump owns the economic and national security fallout."

Additionally, Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona cosigned a letter with 42 lawmakers calling on Trump to "immediately" rescind the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

"Trump's tariffs on Canada will do nothing but hurt American workers and auto manufacturers. He's giving our overseas competitors a leg up," Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., claimed in a reaction to the impending tax.

"It would be nice if Donald Trump could start focusing on getting the prices down instead of making them go up," wrote Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I am concerned these new tariffs will further drive up costs for American consumers. We should be focused on going hard against competitors who rig the game, like China, rather than attacking our allies."

While Democrats are uniting to criticize Trump's tariffs, members of the party did not widely push back on tax increases implemented by former President Joe Biden.

When gas prices doubled under Biden, according to data from the Energy Information Administration, Schumer, then-Senate majority leader, claimed that it was oil companies "gouging us at the pump" who were to blame.