Here's a sentence you don't hear every day from Fox News: tariffs are taxes, and Americans are paying the price. That's the argument from Fox News host Jessica Tarlov, who's calling out the Trump administration for what she says is a long-overdue admission about how trade policy hits wallets.
"The administration is finally admitting the truth: tariffs are taxes, and the American people are suffering from rising costs," the "The Five" co-host wrote on X. She was responding to news that the White House is rolling back tariffs on agricultural imports—beef, coffee, bananas, tomatoes, and other grocery staples.
The Economic Reality Check
In a segment on "Fox News Sunday," Tarlov connected the dots between Trump's trade policies and the economic frustration many voters are feeling. "Well, it's an admission that the tariffs were taxes, which the argument that the administration has been making since they got into office was, this is going to be a boon for you," she said. "And the American public is saying, actually, no, I go to the grocery store, and everything is more expensive."
It's a pretty straightforward economic point: when you slap tariffs on imports, those costs get passed along to consumers. The White House spent months arguing tariffs would boost American manufacturing and bring relief. Now, with grocery prices still high and voters grumbling, the administration is quietly backing away from some of those policies.
A Rough Few Weeks for Trump
Tarlov didn't stop at tariffs. She argued the past few weeks have been brutal for President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement politically. "There were the electoral losses, on top of it the waffling on whether he thinks affordability matters or not," she said.
She also criticized Trump's recent interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, saying it included several "stumbles" that hurt his credibility. Topics like H-1B visas and the Epstein files came up awkwardly. In the interview, Trump defended the H-1B visa program, rejecting claims that the U.S. already has enough skilled workers—a stance that didn't sit well with parts of his base.
Voter Trust Shifts
According to Tarlov, voters who backed Trump expecting economic relief are reconsidering. "You see the base of the party, the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world, up to the more moderate folks that signed on because they thought that he was going to give them relief at the grocery store, all saying no to this," she said.
The polling numbers back up her point. "He's minus 15 on handling the economy at this point," Tarlov noted. Recent elections, she said, showed that voters now trust Democrats more on inflation and affordability. "Democrats proved ... that they're more trusted on who can keep your money in your pocket and maybe even get you some more."
It's a remarkable shift. Trump built much of his political brand on economic competence. If voters are losing faith in that narrative—especially over something as visible as grocery prices—it could reshape the political landscape heading into the next election cycle.