Former President Donald Trump kicked off his economic policy tour in Erie, Pennsylvania yesterday, doubling down on his controversial tariff proposals while addressing a crowd of manufacturing workers and business leaders. The appearance marks the beginning of a six-state swing through key industrial regions where Trump aims to contrast his trade policies with President Biden’s economic approach.
“Tariffs are the most powerful tool in a president’s arsenal,” Trump told the audience at Presque Isle Manufacturing. “When other countries dump their products here at artificially low prices, American workers pay the price. Not anymore.”
The former president outlined plans for what he called a “strategic tariff framework” that would impose up to 60% duties on Chinese imports and at least 10% on all other foreign goods entering the United States. Economic analysts have offered mixed reactions to these proposals, with concerns about potential inflation impacts competing against arguments for industrial revitalization.
“What most people don’t understand is that tariffs aren’t taxes on Americans—they’re leverage against foreign competitors,” Trump said, contradicting assessments from economists at institutions like the Peterson Institute for International Economics, which estimates Trump’s proposed tariff structure could cost the average American household approximately $2,600 annually through higher prices.
Local manufacturing executive Barbara Townsend, who attended the event, expressed cautious optimism. “We’ve lost three competing factories in this county alone over the past decade. If tariffs bring some of that production back, maybe the higher costs are worth it,” she said. “But my customers are price-sensitive, and I worry about what happens if materials get more expensive.”
The event featured several Pennsylvania business owners sharing stories about competition with Chinese manufacturers. Trump referenced these testimonials repeatedly, calling them “the real economic experts, not the professors with fancy degrees who’ve never created a job.”
Trump’s economic tour comes as recent polling from Gallup shows economic concerns ranking as the top priority for 62% of likely voters in the upcoming election. While unemployment remains low at 3.8%, persistent inflation concerns and housing affordability issues continue to create economic anxiety among middle-class voters.
During an unscripted moment in his remarks, Trump acknowledged some of the criticisms of his tariff approach. “Look, I know some people say consumers pay for tariffs. Maybe a little, sometimes. But what’s the cost of losing your job? What’s the cost when your whole town shuts down because the factory moved to Vietnam or Mexico?”
Following the speech, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, issued a statement questioning Trump’s economic record. “Pennsylvanians remember that manufacturing job growth actually slowed during the previous administration, and farmers in our state suffered greatly during the trade wars,” Shapiro said. “We need trade policies based on reality, not rhetoric.”
Trump’s economic tour will continue with stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio over the next two weeks. Campaign officials indicate he will unveil additional economic proposals focusing on energy production, regulatory reform, and tax policy throughout the tour.
Economists remain divided on the potential impacts of Trump’s proposals. “The tariff debate isn’t simply black and white,” explained Dr. Maria Vasquez, professor of international economics at Carnegie Mellon University. “Targeted tariffs can address unfair trade practices, but broad-based tariffs risk disrupting supply chains and raising prices across the economy. The devil is always in the details of implementation.”
For Erie resident James Morton, who works at a steel fabrication plant, the debate feels personal. “I’ve watched jobs disappear for twenty years. Something needs to change,” he said after the event. “But I also worry about what happens to prices at Walmart. It’s complicated.”
Trump concluded his remarks by framing the economic choice in stark terms. “Either we continue down the path of decline, or we take bold action to rebuild American manufacturing. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again,” he said to enthusiastic applause from the crowd of approximately 800 attendees.
The former president’s return to Pennsylvania—a critical battleground state he narrowly lost in 2020—signals the importance his campaign places on economic messaging to recapture the White House in 2024.
