In Huntington Beach, a small white bust of President Trump occupying the city council room, with banners that “make America great again” proudly flying outside the home, riding a rocking boat in the harbor. Support for the White House is a matter of citizens’ pride.
But even this conservative slice of Orange County was clear about the uncertainty surrounding the country’s economy’s future, as the Trump administration deployed a global plan for tariffs in what the president called “liberation day.”
At Costco in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, Daniel Calfo said she and her husband were trying to plan as far as possible in advance.
The 33-year-old mother at home said she and her husband had done all the necessary repairs to their car at the beginning of the year. They bought new furniture for their Huntington Beach homes and bought as much as possible to keep costs low.
“We knew everything was about to go up, so when he was elected, we bought a bunch,” she said she was standing side by side with her two-year-old son to buy a slice of pizza.
Her cart was loaded with two containers of household goods, snacks for her son, fruits and two dozen eggs. Recently I stole each for less than $10.
The president said drastic tariffs were designed to create more jobs in the United States. But there is growing concern that it could abuse the economy, raise prices for many products, leaving consumers struggling with another inflation.
It could be a critical test of whether Trump’s loyal person who took him in office is being prepared for more economic uncertainty.
Outside Walmart on Talbert Avenue, a Huntington Beach resident whom Mary identified herself as supporting tariffs even when it meant rising prices.
“It’s probably going to hurt at first, but I think our country is becoming a big problem,” she said she loaded her car with a bag of dirt for her garden.
“We don’t lose weight without a bit of effort, we don’t get out of the financial hole without making a little sacrifice,” said a longtime Trump supporter. “Personally, I think that’s a good thing because I think it’s necessary to buy Americans and be encouraged to support the American industry.”
Meanwhile, inside Walmart, shoppers were mostly focused on food aisles.
The company’s website says two-thirds of products sold in US stores are grown and grown or assembled domestically, but customers interviewed by The Times state that they don’t expect money to go to the store like they used to.
Dennis McKeun, 76, had no plans for a big shopping day Wednesday ahead of Trump’s tariff announcement. Instead, he was there to visit an optometrist.
He said he views tariffs as a short-term sacrifice for long-term benefits.
“Prices will go up a little in a short time, but I think it will generally improve for everyone in the long run,” says McKeown. “Other countries charge US tariffs, so this is how we level things out. We can sell more American-made products to other countries. This is a good fit for business here.”
The plan, released on Wednesday, announced that dozens of countries, including China, the European Union, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan, will impose a 10% baseline tariff on all US trading partners and “mutual tariffs.” The 25% tariff will take effect Thursday on all vehicles and auto parts imported into the US.
This tax rate raises US taxes on foreign imports to levels not seen since World War II.
The Trump administration has argued that tariffs will bring prosperity to the nation, but his critics say he is wrong.
“The president is calling for it as a day of liberation, but it’s actually going to be inflation Day,” said Michael Negron, a fellow of ground collaboration, and Michael Negron, a nonprofit think tank and progressive advocacy group and former special assistant to President Biden for economic policy. “It’ll be the day they announce what’s an effective tax increase that will make it for consumers.”
Trump has advocated tariffs since he went to the campaign trail, where he declared that foreign countries were “taking” America for a long time. The exact nature of tariffs has not been clarified so far, but the looming threat has been met with shaking wild stock markets and cratering the trust of consumers across the country.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that a key economic indicator, consumer sentiment, fell 12% in March, fell 12% in the third month of decline in confidence in the economy.
Approximately 44% of the consumers surveyed have voluntarily mentioned tariffs since 40% in February. And it wasn’t just the Democrats who referenced tariffs. According to the survey, about 40% of independents mentioned increased costs.
A poll from the Associated Press Center for Public Servant Research shows that around half of US adults approve of Trump’s immigration policy, but only four in 10 have a positive view of his approach to economy and trade.
The same poll released on March 31 has circulated Republican support for Trump, at least for now. When asked about trade negotiations, 72% of Republicans expressed approval and 27% expressed disapproval. Polls showed Democrats were overwhelmingly opposed to Trump’s trade policy, with 89% saying they disapproved.
The gap was evident when the Times interviewed people in Huntington Beach on Wednesday when Trump made his announcement. Trump supporters generally want to give tariffs a chance, despite the fact that it could mean short-term pain for the economy. However, those who didn’t vote for him were more concerned about the impact on the pocketbook and their long-term economic outlook.
Jeanne Husing, 84, said there is room for outside income to swing his budget in addition to his Social Security payments, but he worries about inflexible families.
The rising costs will have the most impact on them, she said she loaded the SUV with groceries on Wednesday morning.
“I’m worried,” the Democrat’s keeper said of tariffs. “Trump is everything he’s going to do. I don’t know why he thinks these tariffs are such a good idea, but do you know how his brain works?
Negron said consumers will likely be priced higher for imported products ranging from alcohol in stores to electronic devices within a few weeks. And it remains unclear how long these tariffs will last.
Trump sometimes mentions pushing back drug trafficking when asked what he wants to achieve from certain policy outcomes: tariffs in places like Mexico or Canada. However, he also suggests that tariffs are part of an effort to bring manufacturing back to the US. This is a process that takes years.
“He recently spoke about this as a multi-year legacy and the fact that he has been talking about tariffs since the 1980s. I think more and more people are aware of the fact that more and more people may be in place throughout the rest of his administration,” Negron said. “If that’s the case, you’ve been talking about increased inflation for quite some time.”
By noon Wednesday, Huntington Beach Costco was accused of shoppers of loading bulk items and buying gas for $4.29 per gallon.
The car circled a crowded car park in search of free space, large bags of tips and bundles of bananas loaded into the trunk of the SUV, as a 59-year-old Huntington Beach resident who refused to give her her last name. She said she was skeptical. Tariffs said they have been around for a long time.
She sees it as a political ploy to quickly launch a gradual ploy, allowing fearful consumers to quickly purchase big tickets. The faith of Democrats doesn’t buy it.
“This is all fake,” she said. “In a few months, he said, ‘Oh, I’m going to put it all back together. Isn’t it great?” So I’m not in a hurry to buy the TV I probably need to buy because of these duties.
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