Log in
My Account
Subscribe 99¢ for 3 months
Newsletter

Today's Digital Newspaper

The Gazette

Weather Block Here

Login
My Account
Subscribe
Newsletter

Archive Information

Carrier Portal

Search

Buy Our Photos

Fetterman optimistic about Trump’s tariffs after criticism

By Brady Knox August 2, 2025 | updated 16 hours ago

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) broke with his party in defending President Donald Trump‘s handling of tariffs and trade deals.

On Saturday, Fetterman answered, “Absolutely,” when asked by Fox News if he believed Trump was winning the trade war. He cited the successful trade deal with the European Union, struck this week, and progress in negotiations with China.

“I’m a huge fan of Bill Maher, and I mean, I think he’s really one of the oracles for my party, and he acknowledged it, it’s like, hey, he thought that the tariffs were going to tank the economy, and then he acknowledged that it didn’t,” Fetterman said.

The U.S.-EU trade deal included 15% tariffs levied on nearly all EU exports, in addition to the EU investing $600 billion in the U.S. above current levels. The EU will also purchase $750 billion of U.S. energy. The deal was viewed with shock by many European figures due to the highly favorable terms reached by the U.S., with one ambassador telling the Financial Times that, “Trump worked out exactly where our pain threshold is” in negotiations.

Fetterman’s praise for Trump over his handling of trade is solitary among Democrats, who have put up a united front in opposing nearly every part of Trump’s agenda. Senate Democrats waved off the seemingly positive trade deals, arguing that pain would be felt further down the road.

“Donald Trump may beat his chest and say, ‘Man, I made him take a 15% tariff or 25% tariff,’ but also understand that every one of those trading partners is now looking hard all around the rest of the world to find other customers, because Donald Trump is signaling loud and clear that the United States under Donald Trump is not a reliable trading partner. And that’s not good for any of us,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said.

Fetterman has increasingly reached across the aisle over the past year, being one of the few Democrats open to praising Trump on certain topics, despite campaigning against him in 2024. He dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago shortly after his victory in the election.

Congressional Republicans have largely voiced support for Trump’s trade strategy.

“It’d be nice if some Democrats would put their partisan hatred for Trump aside and actually start working together for American workers and American jobs. Unfortunately, I don’t see a whole lot of Democrats interested in doing that right now,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told Fox News.

Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement in April first triggered near-unprecedented panic in the markets, pushing him to delay their implementation until deals could be worked out.

TRADE NEGOTIATIONS ENTER NEW PHASE AS TRUMP STANDS BY TARIFF HIKES

The U.S. has struck eight trade deals so far, one of which was with the 27-nation European Union. The others were reached with the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and China.

Among the U.S.’s key trading partners that haven’t yet reached a deal are Canada, Australia, and India.

546ca487-a2c5-5463-800a-3841ab721fe3

View Original Article | Split View
Tags
Brady Knox

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Appeals court rules private text messages were public record

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save (The Center Square) – Wisconsin public officials cannot hide private text messages and messages on private messaging apps involving public business and they are accountable for legal fees in cases where the court finds the […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Office of Special Counsel investigating Jack Smith over alleged Hatch Act violations

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has begun an investigation into Jack Smith, the former special counsel who led the Biden Department of Justice’s classified documents and Jan. 6 cases against President Donald Trump. According […]