BLUE PRESS JOURNAL – Remember when President Trump announced his so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs back in April 2025? He promised they’d be a shot in the arm for American workers — especially in manufacturing. The message was simple: slap big taxes on most imports, force companies to “buy American,” and watch U.S. factories roar back to life.
Well, fast-forward to today, and the “roaring” sounds you’re hearing are more like the groans of laid-off workers.
The Job Numbers Tell the Story
Let’s start with the cold, hard math: Since the tariffs went into effect, the U.S. economy has been adding jobs at one-tenth the pace it did under President Biden. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Biden’s term saw an average of around 400,000 jobs per month in 2021–2022 (BLS Jobs Data). Under Trump’s post-tariff economy in 2025, that’s closer to 40,000 per month — a stunning slowdown for a country not in a recession.
And manufacturing? The very sector Trump claimed he was rescuing? It’s been shrinking. Every single month since the tariffs were announced in April 2025, manufacturing employment has ticked downward. The most recent BLS data shows 67,000 fewer manufacturing jobs now than when the tariffs began (BLS Manufacturing Employment).
Why Tariffs Backfire
Economists have been warning for years that tariffs don’t work the way politicians promise. Sure, they make imported goods more expensive, but they also raise costs for U.S. businesses that depend on imported parts and materials. That means higher prices for consumers and squeezed profit margins for manufacturers — the very people you’re supposedly helping.
Back in 2018, during Trump’s first term, the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimated that his steel and aluminum tariffs actually cost more manufacturing jobs than they preserved (PIIE Analysis). The same pattern seems to be repeating in 2025.
The Domino Effect on the Economy
When manufacturers cut jobs, it doesn’t just hurt factory towns. It ripples out to suppliers, shipping companies, local restaurants, and pretty much any business that depends on those workers’ paychecks. Even sectors not directly tied to imports can get caught in the drag because tariffs slow overall economic activity.
And let’s not forget — these tariffs function like a tax increase on everyday Americans. When the cost of imported goods goes up, so do the prices on store shelves. That’s inflationary pressure at a time when many families are still trying to get their budgets under control.
The Political Spin vs. Economic Reality
Of course, the White House is spinning this as “short-term pain for long-term gain.” The problem is, we’ve heard that before. In 2018 and 2019, Trump’s trade war with China was supposed to bring manufacturing roaring back. Instead, U.S. manufacturing output fell and job growth slowed (Federal Reserve Industrial Production Data).
Now in 2025, history is repeating itself — only the tariffs are broader, the job losses faster, and the excuses flimsier. You can call it “Liberation Day” if you want, but for tens of thousands of American workers, it feels more like eviction day.
Bottom Line
Tariffs make for great political theater. They let a president look “tough” on trade without having to pass complicated legislation. But the economic reality is that they’re a blunt instrument — and when you swing a blunt instrument, you often hurt the very people you claim to be protecting.
If the goal was to “liberate” Americans, the 2025 tariffs have certainly done that — they’ve liberated them from their jobs, from stable paychecks, and in some cases, from their ability to keep the lights on.
Blue Press Journal 
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