Republican lawmakers are arguing that Americans are prepared to tolerate higher prices as a necessary cost of supporting Donald Trump’s agenda, even as worries over inflation continue to mount.
The comments follow Trump’s announcement that his threatened tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada are set to take effect from today — a move economists warn could further drive up inflation. Goldman Sachs has previously estimated that the tariffs could push inflation higher by around 1 percent, while also squeezing U.S. corporate profits and raising the risk of retaliation from other countries.
At the same time, inflation is already weighing on the economy. A recent Labor Department report showed that January recorded the largest increase in consumer prices in nearly 18 months.
Speaking to CNN, Senator Markwayne Mullin acknowledged concerns about the potential impact of tariffs on his home state of Oklahoma, but insisted that voters are ready to accept the costs if it means backing the president’s approach.
“I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us,” he said. Representative Mark Alford of Missouri echoed that view, telling CNN that he is “all for” paying higher prices if it helps “get America right again.”
“We all have a role to play in this to rightsize our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts, he said. Asked whether he believes his constituents feel the same way about absorbing higher costs, Alford replied: “I think so.”
Polling suggests the country remains divided on Trump’s tariff strategy. A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted between February 12 and 18 found that 54 percent of respondents opposed new tariffs on imported goods, while 41 percent supported them. Support was slightly stronger for tariffs on Chinese goods specifically, with 49 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed. The poll surveyed 4,145 U.S. adults nationwide and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Other surveys indicate Trump’s approval on economic issues is slipping, pointing to public anxiety over inflation and rising living costs. The same Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 53 percent of Americans believe the economy is on the wrong track, up from 43 percent in its late January survey.
In addition, a memo released this month by Trump’s top pollster Tony Fabrizio and his partner Bob Ward found that 59 percent of voters across 18 swing districts are worried about their personal financial situation, including 61 percent of swing voters and 53 percent of Trump’s own supporters.
A recent Gallup poll of 1,004 Americans conducted between February 3 and 16 showed Trump’s approval rating on the economy at 42 percent, with 54 percent disapproving — a net rating of minus 12 points. Gallup noted that this is lower than any president’s February economic approval rating in recent history, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
The trend could be troubling for Trump, who pledged during his campaign that inflation would “vanish completely” upon his return to the White House. Defending the policy, Mullin told CNN: “Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely … It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”
When pressed again on whether voters are ready to pay more, Mullin repeated: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”
Alford acknowledged that tariffs are “going to have an impact,” especially on farmers, but said he expects some costs to be offset through increased domestic energy production. “We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts, he said. Asked again whether constituents agree, Alford answered: “I think so.”
“Look, we have lived under the oppression of Joe Biden’s hyperinflation for some years. We’ve seen some corrections in that, there’s ups and downs, but this economy is going to start churning,” he said, adding that he believes people will “have more money to invest to spend. “And it’s just going to take a little patience on the front end,” he said.
The effects of Trump’s tariffs are expected to ripple through both the U.S. economy and global markets. Countries such as Canada and Mexico, which are closely tied to the United States through trade, are expected to be hit hard by the new measures.
The Washington-based Tax Foundation has estimated that tariffs already imposed on China would reduce long-run GDP by 0.1 percent, while proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico could shrink it by 0.3 percent — figures that do not include the potential impact of foreign retaliation.
