Who Really Pays the Trump Tariffs? Prices, Jobs, and the Trade War Ripple Effects

If you’ve ever looked at a receipt and thought, why does everything feel more expensive? This episode peels back the slogans to show how tariffs work in practice: they’re a tax at the border paid by importers, passed through the supply chain, and often landing on American households. Using clear examples—from washing machines to steel and farm exports—we trace how higher effective tariff rates and retaliation reshaped prices, supply chains, and jobs, and why promised wins (like shrinking the trade deficit or reshoring factories) largely failed to materialize. Listen for practical takeaways on how businesses and consumers adapt, and the simple follow-up question to ask when you hear tariff claims: who actually wrote the check?