LETTER: Searching for answers
I genuinely want President Donald Trump to succeed, but I’m struggling to understand his stance on key issues such as tariffs, the Ukraine war and tax cuts.
Tariffs are taxes on imports, which are passed on to consumers. The idea is to bring manufacturing back to the United States. But jobs originally left because of lower labor costs abroad. If companies return, they’ll still face higher U.S. wages— probably more expensive than the tariffs themselves. Additionally, retaliatory tariffs from other countries hurt U.S. exports and increase global prices. It’s hard to see how this leads to a net benefit.
On Ukraine, I don’t understand how allowing Vladimir Putin to keep seized territory in exchange for vague promises not to invade again or blocking NATO membership brings peace. That feels like appeasement — letting a modern-day aggressor redraw borders by force without consequences.
Then there’s the proposed $5 trillion GOP tax cut, which favors the wealthiest Americans while ignoring urgent issues such as inflation. Cutting government jobs to offset the tax break feels rushed and reckless. Yes, we should eliminate fraud and waste, but not at the expense of middle- and working-class stability. Trickle-down economics has been tried and failed. How does this actually help the average American?
Can someone please explain these policies?
