By Joe Schaller
Guest Columnist
Since Liberation Day a year ago, it seems the entire Democrat Party and legacy media are unhinged about tariff taxation. Did you know that for thousands of years virtually every nation on Earth has used trade tariffs? Or that foreign rates on average were triple that of the U.S. before 2025? Nations are all gaga over tariffs as long as they are in their favor, but not the anti-Trump neo-progressive Marxists.
In the April 17 Sun, one of Sen. Luján’s many self-serving and somewhat deranged anti-Trump political propaganda articles — this time concerning tariffs — revealed his stunning ignorance, dishonesty, and inability to connect the dots of basic economics and history — low IQ, low EQ.
Here’s why:
China ignited a trade war in 2001 after it was admitted into the World Trade Organization (a huge mistake initiated by President Bill Clinton), proceeding with predatory pricing known as dumping to create a monopoly situation. This triggered presidents Bush and Obama to impose more of their already substantial non-transparent quotas, restrictions, and tariffs. Why? — to protect domestic producers.
In 2018, the U.S.-China trade war accelerated, triggered by a Section 301 investigation. It found that China engaged in unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, and forced technology transfers. Since 2001, these actions cost the U.S. an estimated $225 to $600 billion annually, including cyber espionage, trade secret theft, and counterfeiting.
Communists are master cheaters and it’s pretty clear who the unfair trade villains are. For Luján to say Trump ignited a global trade war is nothing but neo-progressive (politically correct for communist) propaganda. Trump is actually *ending* China’s trade war, just as he has ended numerous other global wars since his reelection, including the global drug-pricing war and Iran’s declared war on the U.S. of 47 years ago.
When Luján whines about our 2.4% to 3.4% average inflation that is far lower than the reckless Biden Democrats 8% hyperinflation of 2022, and complains about our very strong 4% GDP growth heading into 2026 (it was 2.8% in 2024), he loses credibility. While Trump’s economic forecasts in barely a year are healthy, Lujan’s socialist agenda has always been a loser here and abroad.
Here’s what citizens need to know about tariffs so they can school their Democrat leaders:
Tariffs were the greatest source of federal revenue before the federal income tax began after 1913. For well over a century, the federal government had been largely financed by tariffs, averaging 25% to 40% on foreign imports. (see chart)
Despite the 40+% tariffs, economic growth in the U.S. before 1913 was significant, with industrial production rising by 682% between 1870 and 1912. The growth rate from 1913 to 1921 was just 1.4% per year.
The Revenue Act of 1913 significantly reduced tariff rates from an average of 30% to 12%, to lower the cost of living. To offset lost revenue, it introduced a federal income tax.
The average effective U.S. tariff rate rose from approximately 2.5% in 2024 to nearly 10% by early 2026, far below the “panican”(weak and fearful people) forecast of 25%.
While the U.S. historically led the way maintaining very low tariffs since the 1940s, China and India have maintained high tariffs, as well as non-tariff barriers to protect domestic industries.
Contrary to popular opinion, Ronald Reagan imposed several tariffs, including 100% on Japanese electronics. Like Trump, Reagan’s trade policy was often described as “free but fair,” acting to protect U.S. national interests when foreign nations did not “play by the rules.”
Rather than blame Trump for New Mexico’s decades of economic woes as a blue state bottom-dweller surrounded by a dozen thriving state economies, Luján, as well as Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Deb Haaland, might want to account for their radical initiatives defunding law enforcement, interacting with the Southern Poverty Law Center racial hate group, and their communist strong-arm style 300 square mile Chaco land grab (larger than New York City) against the wishes of the Navajo Nation — a land grab which denies tribal allottees $200 million in royalties as well as hundreds of jobs. The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey data and New Mexico state regulation indicate 10 square miles as adequate fracking setback protection for Chaco Historical Park. In effect, Luján et al. placed a Navaphobic $200 million land tax on Diné and has the audacity to complain about protective tariff taxes.
Ben, Deb, and Martin got some serious ‘splaining to do.
