WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Not even 24 hours after his party and , President Donald Trump followed the playbook that has defined his political career: He doubled down.
Trump鈥檚 move Wednesday to on imports from nearly all U.S. trading partners marks an all-in bet by the Republican that his once-fringe economic vision will pay off for Americans. It was the realization of his four decades of advocacy for a protectionist foreign policy and the belief that free trade was forcing the United States into decline as its economy shifted from manufacturing to services.
The tariff announcement was the latest and perhaps boldest manifestation of Trump鈥檚 second-term freedom to lead with his instincts after feeling his first turn in the Oval Office was restrained by aides who did not share his worldview. How it shakes out could be a defining judgment on his presidency.
The early reviews have been worrisome.
Financial markets since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and economists warned that the import taxes may boost inflation and potentially send the U.S. into a recession. It's now Republican lawmakers who are fretting about their party鈥檚 future while Democrats feel newly buoyant over what they see as Trump鈥檚 overreach.
Democratic activists participated in Saturday in the largest demonstrations since Trump returned to office in January. 鈥淭he winds are changing,鈥� said Rahna Epting, who leads MoveOn, one of many organizing groups.
Trump is unbowed.
He has promised that the taxes on imports will bring about a domestic manufacturing renaissance and help fund an extension of his 2017 tax cuts. He insisted Thursday as the Dow Jones fell by 1,600 points that and the economy would 鈥渂oom," then as the index plunged 2,200 more points.
The White House stayed the course Saturday. 鈥淭his past November, America resoundingly rejected the business-as-usual policies coming out of D.C.,鈥� said White House spokesman Kush Desai, adding, 鈥淭he entire Trump administration is aligned on delivering on President Trump鈥檚 mandate to reject the status quo.鈥�
In his first term, Trump鈥檚 tariff threats brought world leaders to his door to cut deals. This time, his actions so far have led to steep retaliation from China and promises from European allies to push back.
Even some Trump supporters are having their doubts.
Frank Amoroso, a 78-year-old resident of Dewitt, Michigan, said he is concerned about short-term rising interest rates and inflation, although he believes the tariffs will be good for the country in the long run.
Amoroso, a retired automotive engineer who voted for Trump, said he would give the president鈥檚 second-term performance a C-plus or B-minus. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 doing things too fast,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut hopefully things will get done in a prudent way, and the economy will survive a little downfall.鈥�
Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., in a telephone town hall with constituents Thursday night, expressed reservations about the broad nature of the tariffs.
Hill, who represents a district that includes Little Rock, said he does not back tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He said the administration should instead focus on renegotiating a U.S. trade agreement with its two neighbors.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 support across-the-board tariffs as a general matter, and so I don鈥檛 support those, and I will be urging changes there because I don鈥檛 think they will end up raising a bunch of revenue that鈥檚 been asserted,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚 wish I thought they did, but personally I don鈥檛 think they will. But I do support trade diplomacy.鈥�
Still, much of Trump's 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� coalition remains publicly supportive.
Doug Deason, a prominent Texas-based Republican donor, said he loves the president's tariff plan, even if it causes some economic disruption.
鈥淗e told us during the election there would be pain for every American to get this ship turned around,鈥� Deason said. 鈥淚t is hard to watch our portfolios deteriorate so much, but we get it. We hope he holds course.鈥�
As Trump struggles with the economy, Democrats are beginning to emerge from the cloud of doom that has consumed their party ever since their election drubbing in November.
They scored a decisive victory in Wisconsin鈥檚 high-profile state Supreme Court election on Tuesday, even after Elon Musk and his affiliated groups poured more than $20 million into the contest. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker then by delivering a record on the Senate floor that centered on a call for his party to find its resolve.
Booker told The Associated Press afterward that a significant political shift has begun even as his party tries to learn from its mistakes in the 2024 presidential election.
鈥淚 think you鈥檙e seeing a lot more energy, a lot more determination, a lot more feeling like we鈥檝e got to fight,鈥� Booker said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 sit back any more. You can鈥檛 sit on the sidelines. There鈥檚 a larger, growing movement.鈥�
Booker, a 2020 presidential candidate, acknowledged he is not ruling out a 2028 run, although he said he is focused on his 2026 Senate reelection for now.
There is broad agreement among Democrats 鈥� and even some Republicans, privately at least 鈥� that what Trump has unleashed on the global economy could help accelerate the Democratic comeback.
Ezra Levin, co-founder of the progressive resistance group known as Indivisible, has been critical of Democratic officials鈥� response in recent weeks to Trump鈥檚 leadership. But on Friday, he was somewhat giddy about the political consequences for Trump鈥檚 GOP after the tariffs announcement.
鈥淩aising prices across the board for your constituents is not popular,鈥� Levin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the kind of thing that can lead to a 1932-style total generational wipe out of a party.鈥�
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Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Isabella Volmert in Dewitt, Michigan, contributed to this report.
Zeke Miller And Steve Peoples, The Associated Press
