American Voters Just Sent a Surprising Message About the Trade War
- Lawmakers who backed Trump’s tariffs avoid retribution
- Voters were more focused on health care, economy, immigration
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The trade war of 2018 was, in theory, supposed to hurt Republicans in states vulnerable to higher tariffs and Chinese retaliation. The results from Tuesday’s midterm elections suggest that didn’t really happen.
President Donald Trump’s tariffs were a hot topic in farming regions and the Rust Belt -- places with a lot to lose in the dispute with China, which countered with duties on iconic American exports from soybeans to lobsters. Yet several candidates who opposed Trump’s tariffs were defeated, while some who backed the duties won their races.