If tariffs are so great, why is Trump bailing out farmers?

“I appreciate the incredible bipartisan support that my administration has had on trade and trade policy, especially as it pertains to placing very massive tariffs on China,” President Trump said at his press conference last Thursday. “And just so you understand: These tariffs are paid for largely by China.”

What Trump said is not true. American consumers who buy goods from China — the end users — are the ones paying these “very massive” tariffs. Even if China subsidizes the goods they buy, they are paying more than they would otherwise.