Tolliver: Jobs, Hospitality and the Automotive Industry Can All Be Affected by the Trump Tariffs

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
SHARPTON: “Small businesses are staring down big fears about Trump’s’s tariff proposals. One California small business owner told NBC News she is hoping her Chinese suppliers can turn out a single $200,000 order for 2025. Then get it through the U.S. Ports, all before Trump takes office. She makes non-toxic cups and lunch boxes for kids, by the way. Could invoking this type of fear on people’s livelihoods backfire?”

Tolliver: “Of course it could. Especially if he goes through with it. Because when you have these types of moves from businesses, it shows that they are scared, but it also is impacting their books on a way that is negative and harmful. Susan went through the impacts of the rise of gas costs, but I also want to emphasize the rise in alcohol costs, or produce costs like avocados, or the cost of cars. These are all things that are big imports from Mexico and Canada. And I think, when we think about it, it is not isolated to those dollars that will be coming out of the pocketbooks of Americans. But also jobs. Think about how the hospitality industry or the automotive industry could be impacted by these types of tariffs. I think there is something to be said about yes, there is bluster coming out of Trump. But if he keeps on saying I’m going to do this on January 20th and we see these mixed messages coming from these conversation report outs, especially the one you just highlighted with Justin Trudeau out of Canada, I think we are all having people right on the edge of their seats, it is still an unhealthy posture even if he does not go through with it.”