Trump pulls back on Tariffs after efforts to brand affordability crisis a "hoax" fall flat

WASHINGTON — On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to eliminate his tariffs on a broad range of commodities, including beef, coffee, and some fruits. The move follows a failed effort by the president to label the affordability crisis as a "Democratic con job."

Earlier this month, voters cited economic concerns as their top issue as they elected Democrats in the off-year Virginia and New Jersey governor races, which raised concerns for Republicans over the 2026 midterms. The president also announced that the U.S. had reached framework agreements with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina to ease import levies on agricultural products.

Earlier this week, the president suggested he would lower tariffs on coffee after complaints about rising prices, even though Trump has long insisted that tariffs do not increase consumer costs. In an interview with Fox News, Trump falsely claimed that Walmart's listing of the price of a Thanksgiving meal had gone down 25% since last year.

In reality, the retailer had significantly altered the meal's ingredients from its 2024 shopping list, resulting in less food being included. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's own data shows that food costs have continued to rise since he took office