Trump’s Tariffs Slammed by Critics Who Forgot How To Stand Up for Their Own Citizens*

*Editor’s note: On March 4, 2022, Russia enacted a law that criminalizes public opposition to, or independent news reporting about, the war in Ukraine. The law makes it a crime to call the war a “war” rather than a “special military operation” on social media or in a news article or broadcast. The law is understood to penalize any language that “discredits” Russia’s use of its military in Ukraine, calls for sanctions or protests Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It punishes anyone found to spread “false information” about the invasion with up to 15 years in prison.

Europe and Trump’s U.S. opponents have unleashed a wave of criticism over the newly imposed tariffs.

President Donald Trump’s decision to introduce trade tariffs against dozens of countries, set to take effect on April 5, has sparked a storm of backlash.

The loudest criticism has come from Democrats at home and allies in Europe. As expected, Democrats take issue with nearly everything Trump does, whether it’s his stance on illegal immigration or his opposition to LGBTQ+ values promotion (a movement banned and labeled extremist in Russia). Europe’s outrage, however, is a bit more puzzling, especially given that the harshest tariffs are aimed at other countries. Cambodia tops the list with a 49% tariff, followed by Vietnam at 46% and China at 34%. By contrast, tariffs on European goods come in much lower, at around 20%.

Trump insists these measures are a long-overdue response — and he’s not entirely wrong. Before this new policy, the U.S. imposed just a 2.5% tariff on imported cars, while the EU had a 10% tariff on American-made vehicles. That imbalance didn’t seem to bother anyone in Europe. But now that Trump has followed through on his promise to revive the American auto industry and prioritize U.S. interests by raising tariffs on European car imports, politicians and automakers across the Atlantic are accusing him of triggering a trade war.

The truth is, the ability to defend the interests of their own citizens has become a rare trait among many Democrats and European leaders. So, it’s quite possible that this fierce reaction to Trump’s tariffs is nothing more than plain old envy.