Thank you for these tangible examples of the endless destruction of this presidency. You're so right. They didn't get rid of waste, fraud and abuse. They've just hurt all of us for their profit, not ours.
You willingness to share the pain and difficulty, and the effects on real lives and households, matters tremendously.
This has hurt many small business owners I know personally. They can afford the container of imports they need to do their business, but they don’t have an extra $75,000 for trump’s tariffs. So the essential things they need to manufacture their goods sit in a port warehouse, doing no one any good. They have to fire employees because they can’t get the materials needed to continue business. We live in a small town on the Canadian border in NW Washington. Most border towns from here to Maine enjoyed friendly, mutually beneficial, relationships with shared economy, security and loyalty. It has worked well for the US and Canada until Trump broke his own treaty that he created with Mexico in Canada, with the excuse of keeping fentanyl out of the country. Now these border towns are devastated. Business is down 30 to 60% in gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants. This was our every day economy we had come to depend on. This is separate from the $14 billion dollars that Canadians used to spend traveling to destinations in the US. But because he alienated them, and is treating them as our enemy, not the friend and ally they have been, both nations are suffering economically for no justifiable benefit. We have to abolish these insane tariff manipulations. And where is all this tariff money going anyway? I haven’t heard it’s paying down the debt. I haven’t heard it’s covering the healthcare subsidies. Yet he says we’re making all kinds of money. Where is it ended up?
Tariffs are a tax. A huge shift of money from the poor and middle class to the treasury and Trump. He couldn't possibly care less about how much they hurt us, the "little people" he so disdains, as long as the wealth is transferred upward! But here's some news for the Trump admin.: The more money the average American has to pay for everyday items and tariffs, the less we have to buy the products and services of the rich, and the rich won't stand for that for very long!
Trump keeps selling tariffs like they’re some bold act of “tough business,” but stories like yours show what’s really happening. Small businesses are getting wrecked while he pretends foreign countries are footing the bill. Spoiler: they’re not. Real people are. Everyone except the guy bragging about “good deals” from a golf cart.
Thank you for laying it out plainly. This isn’t policy genius; it’s economic self-harm dressed up as patriotism.
And the Social Security cuts? That’s the part that makes me furious. Trump’s version of “efficiency” always seems to mean fewer services for regular people and more chaos for anyone who isn’t a billionaire or a cable news fanboy.
Keep speaking up. These stories matter. And they cut through the spin faster than any press release ever could.
Direct deposit is a must for SS benefit checks. Does not even need to be a National Bank, as long as the banks debit cards work in the National system of ATM's. Not sure why you feel the authors comments needed more detail. I worked for years in the Cabinetmaking business. Though I am retired now, I still have friends in the industry. One, a designer who owns her own small firm, works with a Cabinet company in Canada. Her entire line of semi custom designs, were developed over several years. When Trump added an additional tariff on Canadian goods, job she had quoted and had contracts for, suddenly became losses. On top of losing money on jobs already sold, jobs in the quote stage have to be requoted to cover the tariffs. Her clients are not at all happy and at least some have walked away from the process, postponing a remodel. She is not sure she will be able to continue into 2026. US cabinet shops also face rising costs, as much of the furniture grade plywood used in construction is made in Canada.
I manage a construction company in Oregon and the entire industry from planning to completion is in a full blown recession. We and most of our partners have done mass layoffs. The pain is coming for us all
Thank you for these tangible examples of the endless destruction of this presidency. You're so right. They didn't get rid of waste, fraud and abuse. They've just hurt all of us for their profit, not ours.
You willingness to share the pain and difficulty, and the effects on real lives and households, matters tremendously.
I also work for a small local business. We've raised our prices on several items and our sales are down even during our busiest holiday season.
Trump is the original FAKE of everything
This has hurt many small business owners I know personally. They can afford the container of imports they need to do their business, but they don’t have an extra $75,000 for trump’s tariffs. So the essential things they need to manufacture their goods sit in a port warehouse, doing no one any good. They have to fire employees because they can’t get the materials needed to continue business. We live in a small town on the Canadian border in NW Washington. Most border towns from here to Maine enjoyed friendly, mutually beneficial, relationships with shared economy, security and loyalty. It has worked well for the US and Canada until Trump broke his own treaty that he created with Mexico in Canada, with the excuse of keeping fentanyl out of the country. Now these border towns are devastated. Business is down 30 to 60% in gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants. This was our every day economy we had come to depend on. This is separate from the $14 billion dollars that Canadians used to spend traveling to destinations in the US. But because he alienated them, and is treating them as our enemy, not the friend and ally they have been, both nations are suffering economically for no justifiable benefit. We have to abolish these insane tariff manipulations. And where is all this tariff money going anyway? I haven’t heard it’s paying down the debt. I haven’t heard it’s covering the healthcare subsidies. Yet he says we’re making all kinds of money. Where is it ended up?
Tariffs are a tax. A huge shift of money from the poor and middle class to the treasury and Trump. He couldn't possibly care less about how much they hurt us, the "little people" he so disdains, as long as the wealth is transferred upward! But here's some news for the Trump admin.: The more money the average American has to pay for everyday items and tariffs, the less we have to buy the products and services of the rich, and the rich won't stand for that for very long!
Trump keeps selling tariffs like they’re some bold act of “tough business,” but stories like yours show what’s really happening. Small businesses are getting wrecked while he pretends foreign countries are footing the bill. Spoiler: they’re not. Real people are. Everyone except the guy bragging about “good deals” from a golf cart.
Thank you for laying it out plainly. This isn’t policy genius; it’s economic self-harm dressed up as patriotism.
And the Social Security cuts? That’s the part that makes me furious. Trump’s version of “efficiency” always seems to mean fewer services for regular people and more chaos for anyone who isn’t a billionaire or a cable news fanboy.
Keep speaking up. These stories matter. And they cut through the spin faster than any press release ever could.
Excellent editorial. Hopefully this will convince all readers and friends to VOTE!
Eric and other business owners who have commented, I’m sorry this is happening to you and your business.
I send blessings for strength and comfort during this difficult time and hope you are able to hold onto your businesses.
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Always a good idea to have your SS check deposited in a national bank like Bank of America. Many of your comments need more detail.
Direct deposit is a must for SS benefit checks. Does not even need to be a National Bank, as long as the banks debit cards work in the National system of ATM's. Not sure why you feel the authors comments needed more detail. I worked for years in the Cabinetmaking business. Though I am retired now, I still have friends in the industry. One, a designer who owns her own small firm, works with a Cabinet company in Canada. Her entire line of semi custom designs, were developed over several years. When Trump added an additional tariff on Canadian goods, job she had quoted and had contracts for, suddenly became losses. On top of losing money on jobs already sold, jobs in the quote stage have to be requoted to cover the tariffs. Her clients are not at all happy and at least some have walked away from the process, postponing a remodel. She is not sure she will be able to continue into 2026. US cabinet shops also face rising costs, as much of the furniture grade plywood used in construction is made in Canada.
I manage a construction company in Oregon and the entire industry from planning to completion is in a full blown recession. We and most of our partners have done mass layoffs. The pain is coming for us all