Economists Warn Tariffs May Increase Prices, Trump Says: “Just Stop Buying Stuff”
As economists across the country raise alarms over the potential cost of President Donald Trump’s latest round of proposed tariffs, the president offered a characteristically unconventional solution on Friday: “Just stop buying stuff.”
At a press conference, Trump unveiled a sweeping proposal to expand tariffs on countries he described as “disrespectful, disobedient, or suspiciously foreign-sounding.”
“We’re putting America first,” Trump told reporters at the event. “We don’t need cheap foreign junk. We need expensive American freedom. And if you can’t afford it—well, maybe you should consider not buying things.”
His comments came on the heels of a damning report from the Congressional Budget Office, which warned that the proposed tariffs would raise consumer prices across the board, increase inflationary pressures, and lead to retaliatory trade measures from affected countries.
Trump, unfazed by the economic projections, brushed off the concerns.
“These so-called economists,” he said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a chart he refused to read. “They’ve been wrong before. They said you can’t bankrupt a casino four times in a row. Well, guess what—I did it, and I’m still rich. That’s called innovation.”
The former president’s proposal includes tariffs on electronics, steel, clothing, and several countries’ GDPs “just to be safe.” He also proposed a “luxury tax” on ketchup, avocados, and “any cheese that sounds foreign.”
When pressed on how working-class Americans would cope with the rising costs of basic goods, Trump elaborated: “Listen, you just stop buying stuff. That’s the solution. You see a TV you like? Don’t buy it. You want medicine? Maybe just wait it out. Build your immune system. That’s what real Americans do.”
Economists were quick to respond with Dr. Linda Powers, a trade policy expert at Georgetown University, stating, “This isn’t how tariffs work. Increasing the price of imports raises costs for consumers and businesses. It doesn’t incentivize patriotism—it just empties wallets.”
Trump dismissed such analysis, stating, “Economists don’t get it. If nobody can afford anything, that’s called equality. It’s socialism, but the good kind—my kind.”
At a rally later that evening, Trump doubled down on the plan, reiterating that “pain is just America getting stronger,” and declaring that under his leadership, “poverty will be so patriotic, you won’t even miss your money.”
