How Democrats can tell an effective story about the damage of Trump's tariffs.

I’m not an economist. So today, I will leave the economic commentary to the pros (I recommend this piece by my former colleague Jared Bernstein).

Instead, I will contribute what I have learned about effectively translating economic analysis into stories and messages that resonate with Americans. During my years working for Biden, especially during the 2020 presidential campaign, I spent a lot of time talking to the smartest economic advisors I could find and then figuring out how to explain their analysis in what Biden would describe as “English, not as opposed to Spanish, but as opposed to complicated.”

The goal of The Permanent Campaign is to contribute to conversations about how Democrats can run a 365-day-a-year ideas and messaging campaign to make the case to Americans that Democrats, not Trump and MAGA Republicans, can make their lives better. Toward that end, here are three recommendations I have for anyone trying to talk to Americans about the harms caused by Trump’s tariffs.

First, avoid conversations about macroeconomics, international politics, and globalization and instead focus on the impact on each American family. During my time in politics, I’ve seen again and again that stories about national or international impacts just do not sink in with voters. People care about what is happening to their own pocketbooks. Here’s one useful fact: the average household will pay an additional $3,800 for goods in 2025 because of the Trump tariffs. The tariffs will especially impact food prices. This estimate is from the excellent folks at the Yale Budget Lab.

Second, focus on entrepreneurs and small businesses that are going to struggle to make ends meet. Many small businesses rely on materials from overseas to make their own products here in the United States. Trump’s tariffs will increase the cost of those materials. Some of these businesses will try to pass along the cost increase to their customers, but they can only increase prices so much before they lose customers. Other small businesses will struggle to sell their products overseas when countries impose retaliatory tariffs.

Here, the concept is less compelling than actual stories of people impacted by the tariffs. I am starting to see a few stories pop up about how small businesses expect to be impacted. I have seen stories about ranchers and farmers in Minnesota, a furniture makers in North Carolina, and a craft brewer and a bike store (not the same place, unfortunately) in Philadelphia. If you have a personal story or have seen a compelling news article about the local impacts of tariffs, please message me or comment below to share.

Third, empathize with people impacted by the stock market decline, but recognize that many families do not have enough money to invest in the stock market. I feel for each and every one of you anxiously refreshing (or avoiding) information on the stock market. I especially feel for those retired or nearing retirement. But we also need to remember that stock owners are generally better off financially than those who do not invest in the stock market. There is also a huge racial disparity between those who own stocks and those who do not.

So yes, shame on Trump for destroying the retirement of so many people. AND, shame on Trump for threatening the Social Security many people rely on when they do not have the luxury of a large retirement account.

Why I Am Collecting Tips

Because the goal of The Permanent Campaign is to contribute to the group project of helping Democrats find their way forward, my current plan is to not produce any paid content. That being said, if you want to support my work and encourage me to keep committing some of my time to The Permanent Campaign, please consider leaving a small tip on my Ko-Fi site. I really appreciate it!