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Imagine picking up a few items at the grocery store, checking out, and noticing a line on your receipt that says, “Tariff Tax: $7.25.” That would get your attention and spark some questions. Why am I paying this? Who decided this was necessary? Where is the money going?
Now imagine never seeing that line, but still paying the added $7.25. That’s the reality of tariffs.
In 2025, the United States has shifted from an open-trade economy to one burdened by some of the highest tariff rates in modern history. The Trump administration has imposed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, two of our closest trading partners, and up to 34 percent on goods from China. That’s not counting earlier rounds of surcharges from Section 301 and 232 duties. These are no longer just negotiating tactics. They’re policy that is already impacting prices, business margins, and family budgets. President Trump’s newest threat of 50 percent tariffs on all European Union imports, delayed until July 9, could extend the price hikes even further.
We’ve been here before. Karl Rove, a Fox News contributor, former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, and author of The Triumph of William McKinley, addressed this directly in an April 30, 2025, appearance on The Michael Smerconish Program, which airs daily on SiriusXM channel 124. He reminded listeners that President McKinley, often seen as a protectionist, eventually evolved to realize that economic isolation would not build America’s prosperity. He ultimately advocated for reciprocal trade agreements that reduced barriers and opened new markets for U.S. goods.
Rove had a pointed message: “Tariffs are taxes…taxes that Americans pay. They’re not paid by exporters. Maybe those countries adjust prices slightly, maybe they cut margins or devalue their currencies, but ultimately it’s U.S. consumers who foot the bill.”
That cuts through a lot of political noise. For years, we’ve been told that tariffs stick it to China or Mexico. That they punish bad actors and make America stronger. But the economic reality is much simpler: tariffs are collected from U.S. importers at the border. Those costs flow down the supply chain and land squarely on you and me.
