With the American opposition party afraid to speak out, and Donald Dutton, sorry, I mean US President Donald Trump, we spoke exclusively with US Democrat Senator Mark Warner.
Mr Warner is an American businessman and politician who has served as a senior Senator for the US State of Virginia since 2009.
He was elected to the US Senate in 2008 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2020. He is the honorary chairman of the Forward Together PAC.
Mr Warner is: “Alarmed at President Trump’s numerous executive orders relating to trade. Since taking office, the President has imposed a global tariff on goods imported from every country on earth; imposed punitive tariffs on our allies like Canada, Mexico, the European Union (EU), Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan; and levied tariffs on imports of cars, car parts, steel, and aluminum.”
In his constituency, Mr Warner sees that “President Trump’s tariffs are nothing more than an enormous tax hike on Virginia consumers, who will soon be left footing the bill as they pay more for groceries, electronics, clothes, and cars. Tariffs should be targeted wisely, not applied to practically all goods in a way that eliminates jobs, alienates our closest partners, and evaporates the retirement savings of hardworking Americans.”
President Trump ran for office promising to ‘lower prices on day one,’ which clearly the opposite has occurred.
“His tariffs are doing the opposite. They amount to the largest tax increase on American families in recent history. Recent reports estimate that President Trump’s tariffs are expected to cost a typical family $3,800 a year due to elevated prices,” Senator Warner said.
“Under President Trump’s tariffs, Americans will experience a price hike on everyday products including clothes, food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and drug store supplies.
“In addition to everyday products, these tariffs are expected to increase the price of American-made cars by almost $3,000. They will also exacerbate our current housing crisis by increasing the cost of construction materials used to repair existing buildings and to build new homes,” Senator Mark Warner said.
On April 8, 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Warner questioned the United States Trade Representative on President Trump’s decision to impose global tariffs.
“The impacts of the President’s global trade war will also cause Virginia’s businesses, including our farmers and manufacturers, to suffer,” Senator Mark Warner said.
As Elon Musk continues his relentless attacks on the federal workforce, tariffs are likely to be a double whammy to Virginia’s economy.
Over 7,000 businesses in Virginia export nearly $22 billion worth of products each year. Our foreign trading partners purchase everything from heavy-duty trucks manufactured in Southwest Virginia to poultry from the Shenandoah Valley and the Eastern Shore. Disrupting this trade only creates more challenges for Virginia businesses, damage that could take years to recover.
On April 4, 2025, Mr Warner joined Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in introducing the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025, a bill that restores US congressional authority over tariffs and reins in President Trump’s power to impose tariffs.
This bill requires that Congress approve new tariffs imposed by the president within 60 days, otherwise, the tariff expires.
Additionally, on March 11, 2025: “I was proud to join Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in introducing legislation to undo President Trump’s wildly unpopular tariffs on Canadian goods. This resolution terminates President Trump’s February 1, 2025 emergency order used to implement tariffs on Canadian imports, passed the US Senate 51-48 in a bipartisan vote and now awaits consideration in the House of Representatives.
“These irrational and reckless tariffs are nothing more than a tax on American families at a time when Virginians are already struggling with the cost of living.
“By imposing these tariffs, President Trump is raising prices on everything from groceries to cars to houses, bringing uncertainty to Virginia small businesses and killing American jobs.
“President Trump was elected on a promise to bring down rising prices, but these tariffs do the opposite,” Senator Mark Warner concluded.
And that’s the way it is.
