Opinion: How is Utah responding to Trump tariffs?

The cherry blossom bloom at the nation’s capital ended last weekend, and a wonderful version of it will soon retire at Utah’s Capitol. But the politics in both locales continue to thrive.

Special election outcomes in Florida and Wisconsin still reverberate. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., broke a record for the longest speech on the U.S. Senate floor with his verbal attack on President Donald Trump. Do these reveal significant trends?

Cowley: Despite being significantly outspent, Susan Crawford (D) won Wisconsin’s circuit judge seat, and Sen. Randy Fine (R) won Florida’s congressional race. Despite Elon Musk spending $20+ million to put a Republican on the bench, money talks but can’t buy elections. If it did, we would be writing about President Kamala Harris right now.

Long-winded speeches that barely last one news cycle won’t save the Democrats’ sinking ship. They don’t have a plan, a viable presidential candidate or a message. They ignore overwhelming bipartisan support for Trump policies like banning men from women’s sports and securing elections, and ignore pleas from the middle class to rebuild the economy.

Pignanelli: “Follow the trend lines, not the headlines.” — Bill Clinton

Despite zero evidence of efficacy, physicians used bloodletting for centuries to remedy patients’ ills. Similarly, despite their unreliability, political commentators analyze special and off-season elections as predictors of future contests. However, politicos like us cannot help ourselves and will try to glean some nuggets that may prove worthwhile.

Wisconsin voters who placed a liberal into their Supreme Court also approved enshrinement into their state constitution of the requirement of a photo ID before a person can obtain a ballot. This is a lesson for Democrats across the country.

Booker performed a favor to U.S. history by ensuring the longest speech in the Senate is no longer a segregationist rant against voting rights. Despite the attention from national media, serious questions exist about how this 25-hour publicity tactic (only heard by a handful) helps in messaging for future Democratic candidates. Booker’s impressive bladder strength was noted, but few of his statements were covered or will be remembered.

Any additional prognostications for these activities would be akin to using leeches.

Trump is making waves, history and headlines, but not international friends, with his recent imposition of reciprocal tariffs. Utah imports and exports considerable amounts. What are the political ramifications?

Cowley: Millennials like me came of age during the 2008 Great Recession, then endured the 2020 global pandemic. We’ve barely seen a good economy, so another downturn doesn’t phase us — we’re used to a ramen noodle diet.

Tariffs aim to secure better global trade terms and restore domestic manufacturing. Trump said this will cause short-term pain but is necessary to right the economic wrongs of previous short-sighted administrations. You don’t snap your fingers and “voila,” instantaneous return of domestic manufacturing. This could take the entirety of Trump’s term or longer.

COVID-19 demonstrated America’s vulnerabilities in the supply chain. Our limited manufacturing heavily relies on foreign inputs and materials. We must bolster domestic production of energy, steel, microchips and rare earth minerals. Utah could play a part in this strategy with our troves of rare earth minerals and vast energy resources.

America remains the most important consumer market. Companies like Ford are making moves to serve American consumers, duty-free. The E.U. and others are already floating zero for zero tariffs. This is the highest-stakes game of economic chicken ever played. I’m betting on the guy who wrote “Art of the Deal” to win.

Pignanelli: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., correctly emphasized that when Republicans imposed tariffs in 1890 and 1930, they were hammered in the next elections. A repeat could happen in 2026 if the stock market plunges and inflation explodes. This could significantly impact Utah’s swing districts and possibly a congressional seat.

But the tariffs of the 19th and 20th centuries were enacted by Congress, which means the modern story is unfinished. The president has greater flexibility to modify or Congress may feel forced to intervene, which would change the outcome.

Commentators (including me) have been opining that the political parties are undergoing realignment in multiple demographics, as was apparent in 2024. The eventual outcome of the recent actions by Trump may supercharge political transformations to the extent not seen since the 1850s.

Utah suffered in the 1890s and 1930s. Our diverse and sophisticated economy could again be negatively affected unless the trajectory changes. Thus, intra- and inter-party dynamics in the next several years may be even more extreme than the current environment.

How are other elected officials, including Utah’s delegation, reacting to Trump’s big swings? How might this change politics in perpetuity?

Cowley: Democrats can’t even denounce Tesla vandalism, let alone come up with a cogent counter to Trump’s bold and decisive agenda. Most Republicans are either complicit or silently acquiesce to Trump. Meanwhile, Utah legislators are decisively MAGA/MAHA, basking in praise from RFK Jr. and other Trump secretaries.

Pignanelli: Politicians love to be on the right side of history, but there is no crystal ball to decipher recent events. We may be amidst a massive economic upheaval that reorients political coalitions. So our officials express concern, combined with a desire to help the “hollowed out“ former industrial centers, while offering hope of eventual resolution.