Staff Reports
The Trump campaign criticized President Biden’s decision to increase tariffs on electric vehicles and clean energy goods coming from China. They claimed that the move is an attempt to divert attention from the negative impacts of Biden’s Electric Vehicle mandate on the U.S. auto industry and American jobs. The administration’s plan includes raising tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports such as steel, aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicle battery components, critical minerals, solar cells, cranes, and medical products. The increased rates will range from 25% to 100% and will be phased in over the next two years.
“Joe Biden’s action today is a weak and futile attempt to distract from the grievous harm his insane Electric Vehicle mandate is doing to the U.S. auto industry and how his radical policies are wiping out thousands of American auto jobs.” https://t.co/SlUtXew4wF
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) May 14, 2024
Former President Donald Trump, a potential 2024 GOP nominee, has criticized Biden’s push for increased electric vehicle usage, warning about potential job losses and the lack of necessary infrastructure. The Trump campaign accused the Biden administration of not protecting American workers and instead attempting to manipulate Americans into supporting the electric vehicle industry by preventing cheaper Chinese models from entering the U.S. They argued that the focus on Chinese electric vehicles while exempting gas-powered cars and trucks reveals the real intention behind the tariffs, which they claim is to eliminate gas-powered automobiles and force expensive electric vehicles onto Americans who may not want or afford them.
The campaign’s secretary, Karoline Leavitt, claimed that the tariffs were not about safeguarding American manufacturing, but about advancing Biden’s agenda of phasing out gas-powered vehicles and promoting costly electric vehicles. The Trump campaign’s criticism of Biden’s tariff hike reflects their opposition to the administration’s efforts to promote electric vehicles over traditional gas-powered vehicles, portraying it as detrimental to American workers and consumers.
