The Daily Fuckup

Donald Trump is still selling tariffs as part of his economic playbook, but in a Sunday interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press," he would not promise they would leave consumer prices untouched. Asked whether the tariffs he wants on imports from Canada, Mexico and China could raise prices for Americans, Trump said he could not guarantee they would not. He added that "things do change."

The exchange matters because Trump has repeatedly argued that tougher trade policy can help the United States while putting foreign governments and companies under pressure. In the interview, he did not offer a detailed explanation of how his proposed tariffs would avoid higher costs for shoppers. Instead, he said he did not believe economists who warn that import duties can be passed along through prices.

Trump has made tariffs one of the signature economic ideas of his return to office, pairing them with promises to improve conditions for American workers and firms. His comments on Sunday did not reverse that position. But they did put a clear limitation on one part of it: he would not say consumers are guaranteed to be spared higher prices if the plan is carried out.

Tariffs are taxes collected at the border on imported goods. Businesses can absorb some of the cost, shift suppliers, trim margins or pass the expense to buyers. That means the final hit can land in more than one place, depending on the product and the company involved. Trump’s remarks did not settle that debate. They did, however, leave open the possibility that households could see higher prices if the tariffs move forward as described.