PolitiFact

Donald Trump stated on May 09, 2019 in remarks at the White House:

Tariffs are "paid for mostly by China, by the way, not by us."

By Louis Jacobson• May 14, 2019

JD Vance stated on August 25, 2024 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press":

“Anything that you lose on the tariff from the perspective of the consumer, you gain in higher wages, so you're ultimately much better off.”

By Louis Jacobson• August 29, 2024

Donald Trump stated on July 12, 2019 in an interview:

U.S. farmers are receiving $16 billion "out of the tariffs that we’ve gotten from China."

By Eric Litke• August 2, 2019

Karoline Leavitt stated on March 11, 2025 in a White House press briefing:

“Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people.”

By Louis Jacobson• March 13, 2025

Major Gross Profit stated on January 16, 2026 in an email:

“Trump’s $2,000 tariff dividend is live but you must act.”

By Paul Specht• January 23, 2026

Jared Polis stated on May 15, 2024 in an X post:

Tariffs are a “direct, regressive tax on Americans” and President Joe Biden’s new tariffs on Chinese goods will “hit every family.”

By Louis Jacobson, Samantha Putterman• May 17, 2024

National Taxpayers Union stated on October 10, 2018 in Washington Examiner op-ed:

"The latest round of tariffs now means that the total tax increase on Americans from enacted tariffs exceeds the tax increases from the Affordable Care Act."

By Manuela Tobias• October 12, 2018

Donald Trump stated on March 26, 2016 in an interview with the New York Times:

"There’s a tremendous tax that we pay when we (American businesses) go into China, whereas when China sells to us there’s no tax."

By Jon Greenberg• March 30, 2016

Donald Trump stated on February 28, 2017 in a speech to Congress:

"Currently, when we ship products out of America, many other countries make us pay very high tariffs and taxes — but when foreign companies ship their products into America, we charge them nothing or almost nothing."

By Allison Graves• March 2, 2017

Alma Adams stated on July 14, 2021 in a committee meeting:

"Lumber prices can be tied to the (Trump) administration’s actions."

By Paul Specht• July 23, 2021

Abigail Spanberger stated on February 24, 2026 in the Democratic response to Trump's State of the Union address:

President Donald Trump’s tariff policies “have forced American families to pay more than $1,700 each in tariff costs” since last year.

By Loreben Tuquero, Zoe Weyand• February 25, 2026

Kamala Harris stated on August 22, 2024 in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention:

Former President Donald Trump "intends to enact what, in effect, is a national sales tax ... that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year."

By Louis Jacobson• August 30, 2024

Joe Biden stated on September 21, 2020 in a speech:

Says President Donald Trump started a trade war that “led to a surge in farm bankruptcies.”

By Eric Litke• October 2, 2020

Barack Obama stated on September 17, 2012 in a television ad:

Chinese tire imports threatened 1,000 American jobs, so President Obama "stood up to China and protected American workers. Mitt Romney attacked Obama's decision."

By Molly Moorhead• October 1, 2012

Donald Trump stated on July 29, 2023 in a speech:

Says Gov. Ron DeSantis “opposed my China tariffs and he heartlessly opposed” $28 billion for farm relief, which was paid for by China.

By Samantha Putterman• August 8, 2023

Anthony Scaramucci stated on May 11, 2019 in an interview:

China’s developing country status in the World Trade Organization "means they can tariff and embargo."

By John Kruzel• May 15, 2019

Wisconsin Corn Growers Association stated on May 27, 2011 in a radio ad:

"Without ethanol, gas prices would be at least 15% higher. With gas at four bucks, that means you’re saving 12 bucks on a 20 gallon fill up."

By James B. Nelson• May 29, 2011

Ted Cruz stated on May 01, 2016 in an interview on "Meet the Press":

Says Donald Trump’s "only economic agenda is imposing massive taxes on the American people with a 40 percent tax hike of a giant tariff."

By Linda Qiu• May 1, 2016

Tennessee Democratic Party stated on April 25, 2012 in a blog post on the party’s web site on April 25, 2012:

Says U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher "breaks earmark pledge."

By Michael Collins• May 25, 2012

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute stated on October 23, 2025 in a statement on X:

An ad from the government of Ontario, Canada, “misrepresents” President Ronald Reagan’s April 25, 1987, address about tariffs.

By Louis Jacobson, Amy Sherman• October 24, 2025

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