White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Democrats for refusing to admit President Trump’s tariffs are the right solution to fix America’s trade problems. She blasted them for ignoring their own past warnings about China and trade deficits. Leavitt said everyone in Washington secretly agrees with Trump but won’t give him credit because of politics.
Leavitt pointed to Nancy Pelosi’s 1996 speech where Pelosi demanded action on China’s trade abuses. Pelosi had asked how many jobs needed to be lost before Congress would stop accepting the status quo. Leavitt said Trump is finally doing what Pelosi asked for—27 years later. She mocked Democrats for now acting like tariffs are bad when their own leaders once sounded the alarm.
Chuck Schumer also got called out. In 2007, he begged the government to reverse the “crippling trade deficit” with China. Leavitt said Trump is the first president brave enough to take Schumer’s advice. She argued Democrats used to care about American workers but now only care about opposing Trump.
Democrats in Congress reacted angrily. They called the tariffs “stupid and bad” and compared them to policies that caused the Great Depression. Some complained about taxes on items like bananas and chocolate. Leavitt shot back, saying Trump’s tariffs target countries that exploit American markets while protecting U.S. jobs.
Republicans defended the tariffs as a win for working families. They said stock market gains mostly help the rich, but bringing jobs home helps regular Americans. One lawmaker noted small countries like Honduras buy more American pork than Europe. They said Trump is putting Main Street over Wall Street.
Leavitt accused the media of missing Trump’s smart negotiating strategy. She said over 75 countries asked to deal with the U.S., not China, proving America’s strength. Reporters didn’t understand Trump’s delay on some tariffs was part of his “Art of the Deal” tactics to get better terms.
Democrats tried to force a vote to block the tariffs, but Republicans stopped them. Liberal lawmakers claimed the tariffs would hike prices on groceries and gas. Leavitt said those fears are overblown and that standing up to China is worth short-term costs. She insisted Trump’s courage will restore millions of lost jobs.
The battle over tariffs shows a clear split. Trump and his team say they’re finally fighting for American workers after decades of weak leadership. Democrats, who once warned about trade dangers, now oppose the same solutions—because Trump’s the one offering them.
