This is from Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg at a recent town hall event:
The San Joaquin Valley helps feed not just America, but the world. The products that are grown here are world-class and yet what we’re finding is because of a short-sighted, I can’t even call it a strategy, I can’t even call it a policy, it’s a pattern, it’s a pattern of poking people in the eye to see what will happen. But when you don’t have — look — I completely get the idea if China is doing something unfair, I get the idea of standing up to them. If there are trade deals that are not benefitting us enough, I get the idea of adjusting them to make sure that it’s fairer trade, but that’s not what we’re seeing right now. What we’re seeing right now is basically politically motivated gamesmanship and it’s coming down on your back.
It’s hurting farmers. It’s hurting workers. It’s hurting consumers. I wonder how many consumers are aware that that the projection is we all on average will pay 800 bucks more a year starting now because of these tariffs, and by the way, a tariff is a tax, so if you ever believe the Republicans don’t raise taxes, that’s what they’re doing right now.
The Democratic candidates are all lining up against Trump's trade policy, but what trade policy are they for? What exactly does it mean to Buttigieg to adjust trade deals to make sure trade is fairer?
