President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” are unsettling congressional Republicans and giving hope to Democrats that this, at last, will dent the Teflon Don. Instead, a new Daily Mail poll finds Mr. Trump “more popular now than before he sent the global markets into a frenzy.”
Dubbing April 2 “Liberation Day,” Mr. Trump raised existing tariffs and imposed new ones on countries that he says treat America “as a piggy bank.” He sought to force the removal of trade barriers that make it harder for American products to compete.
Judging by the negative press coverage and tense national mood that resulted, polls were expected to show Mr. Trump paying a political price. Yet a Daily Mail survey published on Saturday found the president’s support had jumped.
Mr. Trump’s approval rating hit 53 percent, a four-point rise from the previous week and four points better than his tally on Election Day. Thirty-six percent supported his 10 percent tariff on all imported goods; 28 percent opposed them.
Thirty-nine percent of voters supported increasing tariffs on all imports while 37 percent opposed it. Week-over-week, Mr. Trump’s favorability climbed six points among Democrats and independents and by 17 points with Black voters.
J.L. Partners conducted its survey of over 1,000 registered voters between March 31 and April 3. The dates overlapped “Liberation Day” and the 24 hours following it when the stock markets posted large drops, bringing more negative headlines.
Governor Walz of Minnesota, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2024, was first out of the gate with a response. “I’d argue,” he told MSNBC in an interview on Liberation Day, “there’s buyer’s remorse.” Other opponents have picked up the claim.
Mr. Walz is characteristic of those who are unable or unwilling to accept — much less understand — Mr. Trump’s support. They can’t put themselves in the work boots of Americans who feel stung by free-trade policies that have promised prosperity and produced pink slips.
These are the Americans who shower after work instead of before it. It’s a way of life embodied in the “Pittsburgh Potty,” bathrooms built into the basements of Western Pennsylvania so steelworkers, coalminers, and factory hands could wash up before entering the main house.
A generation ago, these employees were a lock for Democrats, who sought to protect them in language identical to Mr. Trump’s. On Friday, a clip of Speaker Pelosi criticizing Beijing’s disproportionate tariffs on America reflected the shift.
In 1996, Ms. Pelosi rose to argue against most-favored nation status for Communist China. “In terms of tariffs,” she said, “the average” American penalty on imported goods from that country was two percent; the average they imposed in return was 35 percent.
America, Ms. Pelosi said, “allows China to flood our markets,” resulting in a large trade deficit. “In terms of jobs, this is the biggest and cruelest hoax of all.” She described America as being denied “market access” by “prohibitive tariffs” while “China benefits with at least 10 to 16 million jobs from U.S. China trade.”
In the 1988 Democratic presidential primaries, Congressman Richard “Dick” Gephardt launched himself from single digits to victory in the Iowa Caucus on trade. His “Hyundai ad” touted those in America’s auto industry who “work their hearts out” to deliver “a good product at a decent price.”
“Then,” Mr. Gephardt said, “the Korean government slaps on nine separate taxes and tariffs and … a $10,000 Chrysler K-car costs $48,000.” He urged negotiations to “push down trade barriers like those Korean taxes and tariffs.”
If Seoul refused to end its protectionist policies, Mr. Gephardt warned that he’d retaliate as president. South Korea, he said, would “be left asking themselves: How many Americans are going to pay $48,000 for one of their Hyundais?”
In the 1990s, Democrats opposed “outsourcing” and “shipping jobs overseas.” They cited slave wages and the lack of environmental or labor laws which helped foreign manufacturers undercut costs. As the party shifted, blue collar voters were left searching for a new champion and found one in Mr. Trump.
The goals of Mr. Trump’s tariffs mirror those that earned Democrats decades of blue-collar support. Rather than experiencing buyer’s remorse, Saturday’s poll could prove an early indication that they support his stance over the politicians and pundits who shower before leaving the house.
