Donald Trump just did what every politician in Washington pretends they want to do but never actually follows through on—he took action to protect American workers. On Monday, he announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, cutting out the endless loopholes, carve-outs, and “special deals” that let foreign competitors undercut U.S. manufacturers. And, predictably, the usual suspects in the media and the globalist peanut gallery are already clutching their pearls, warning that this move might start a “trade war.”
Here’s the thing: America has been in a trade war for decades—we just weren’t fighting back. While we were busy playing nice, countries like China, Brazil, and even our so-called allies in Canada and Mexico were flooding the market with cheap steel and aluminum, driving American producers out of business. Now, suddenly, when Trump decides to level the playing field, we’re supposed to be worried about retaliation? Give me a break.
President Trump signed an executive order imposing 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum.
This is an America First policy that will strengthen American manufacturing, protect workers, safeguard our national security, and help MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/zgUhcxXB2g
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 11, 2025
Take a look at the numbers. Back in 2000, U.S. aluminum smelters produced 3.7 million metric tons of the metal. Fast-forward to last year, and that number had plummeted to just 670,000. Entire plants in Kentucky and Missouri have shut down. Meanwhile, Canada is happily producing aluminum using its abundant hydropower and shipping nearly 80% of its primary aluminum production straight to the U.S., all while crying that these tariffs are “totally unjustified.” Of course, they are—if you’re in Canada. For America? Not so much.
Then there’s China, the elephant in the room. They barely export steel to the U.S. directly, but their fingerprints are all over the global market. Thanks to their endless subsidies, they’re cranking out cheap steel at an unsustainable rate, forcing other countries to dump their excess onto the U.S. market. Trump’s move to require steel imports to be “melted and poured” in North America is an obvious check on this scam—one that should have been implemented years ago.
Naturally, some of the biggest critics of this move aren’t foreign leaders but Republicans-in-Name-Only (RINOs) like former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. This guy actually went on CNN—never a great sign—and argued that if prices dropped by 10%, it would be an “economic catastrophe.” You read that right. Apparently, making life more affordable for Americans would be a disaster. It’s almost like these establishment types are more interested in pleasing their corporate donors than in protecting American workers.
The economically illiterate former governor of New Hampshire, @ChrisSununu, tells CNN that if Americans’ cost of living improved 10 percent, it would be an “economic catastrophe.”
“If you had everything go down 10 percent, that might sound great, but that means we have a… pic.twitter.com/ElcdXCgysh
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 11, 2025
Of course, the media is already running interference, highlighting European and Asian steelmakers taking a hit while ignoring the fact that U.S. steel and aluminum stocks surged after Trump’s announcement. Funny how they always manage to frame economic news in the most negative way possible when Trump is involved.
And let’s not forget about Trump’s next move—reciprocal tariffs. While globalists whine about American protectionism, they conveniently ignore the fact that the EU slaps a 10% tariff on U.S. auto imports while we only charge 2.5% on theirs. And yet, when Trump suggests matching their tariffs, it’s suddenly a crisis? The hypocrisy is staggering.
NEW: Trump signs an executive order mandating a 25% tariff on ALL steel and aluminum from ALL countries. ZERO exceptions ‼️
“This is a big deal. Do you know what this means? This is the beginning of making America rich again.” pic.twitter.com/TU09nMjLCe
— Autism Capital (@AutismCapital) February 10, 2025
The truth is, these tariffs are long overdue. For years, free trade ideologues have promised that eliminating barriers would lead to economic prosperity. Instead, we got a hollowed-out manufacturing sector, entire communities devastated by job losses and a trade deficit that keeps ballooning. Trump is doing what no other modern president has had the spine to do—standing up for American workers, no matter how much the globalists whine about it.
