China and Tariffs Aren’t the Problem. Hypocrisy Is.

For years, Americans have been told that globalization is an unstoppable force and that free trade is inherently beneficial. But behind the bipartisan talking points lies a hard truth: the real threat to American prosperity isn't China or tariffs—it's the hypocrisy of our own leaders, who talk tough about protecting workers while quietly enabling policies that undermine them. As both parties trade barbs over tariffs, the middle class is left to pick up the pieces of a system that does not prioritize them.

The Impact of Globalization on the American Middle Class

For decades, American workers have suffered under a global trade system stacked against them. Two distinct forces have systematically hollowed out our economy.

First: the relentless influx of cheap labor through unchecked illegal immigration. Second: the widespread outsourcing of American manufacturing to countries like China, where abusive labor practices, lax environmental standards, systemic IP theft, and government subsidies combine to exploit American consumers while undermining our economy.

This isn't just about job losses; it's an orchestrated erosion of America's economic sovereignty. We have sat idly by too long, allowing trading partners to impose stringent tariffs and protective regulations while flooding U.S. markets with subsidized goods. Meanwhile, we have added insult to injury by permitting porous borders and record levels of illegal immigration in pursuit of the cheapest benefit-free labor at the expense of higher wages and better living standards for U.S. workers (see my immigration post here).

The Political Hypocrisy of Tariffs

Prominent Democrats have fiercely criticized tariff proposals, labeling them harmful to working families and stoking fears from empty store shelves to economic collapse. Yet, under President Biden, America has witnessed not only the continuation but a significant expansion of Trump-era tariffs:

• Electric Vehicles (EVs): Tariffs on Chinese EVs soared from 25% to 100% (CNBC)
• Solar Panels: Tariffs raised to 50% (White House Fact Sheet)
• Lithium-ion EV Batteries: Subjected to a new 25% tariff (CNBC)
• Semiconductors: 50% tariff effective from 2025 (White House Fact Sheet)
• Steel and Aluminum: Increased to 25% (Reuters)
• Medical Supplies (syringes, needles): 100% tariff effective by 2026 (Reuters)

If tariffs truly devastate working families, as Democrats argue, why have Biden's tariffs been some of the most aggressive in recent history?

The uncomfortable truth is simple: tariffs are a vital tool. However, the political gaslighting surrounding their use is wholly unnecessary and damaging.

Historical Democratic Support for Tariffs

Democrats once openly understood this threat. In 2015, President Barack Obama warned America must set trade rules in Asia, cautioning, "If we don't write the rules, China will." 

Senator Chuck Schumer, in 2005, was blunt about China's predatory trade practices: "We have suffered dramatically in manufacturing jobs… millions of American workers, thousands of American businesses look to us to try and set things right." 

Nancy Pelosi echoed similar concerns, warning against technology transfers and job losses, calling U.S.–China trade "the biggest and cruelest hoax of all."

Obama in 2015 (TikTok):

"A lot of Japanese cars here in the United States; almost no cars in Tokyo."

"If we don't write the rules, China will write the rules out in that region. We will be shut out—American businesses and American agriculture. That will mean a loss of U.S. jobs."

Chuck Schumer 2005 (TikTok) vs 2025 (YouTube):

"The Chinese make no effort to prevent the ripping off of our intellectual property. These are our crown jewels."

"We have suffered dramatically in manufacturing jobs and now service jobs."

"Millions of American workers, thousands of American businesses look to us to try and set things right."

"Fairness in trade—not in the sense of saying we don't want free trade, but in the sense of playing by the rules."

Nancy Pelosi in 1996 (YouTube):

"We are exporting not low-tech jobs and textile jobs—we're exporting our technology… The transfer of technology, a country that is not willing to play by the rules in any respect in this trade relationship, you have a serious threat not only to our relationship, but to the industrialized world."

"In terms of jobs, this is the biggest and cruelest hoax of all… China benefits with at least 10 million jobs from US–China trade. The President… said that China trade supports 170,000 jobs in the United States."

"How far does China have to go? How much more repression, how big a trade deficit and a loss of jobs for the American worker? And how much more dangerous proliferation has to exist before members of this House of Representatives will say, 'I will not endorse the status quo.'"

"Right now we have a $34 billion trade deficit with China… Since the Tiananmen Square massacre, this figure has increased 1,000%—from $3.5 billion then to about $34 billion now."

Now, many current Democrats have conveniently forgotten their former convictions, choosing instead to attack Republicans who hold consistent positions on China and tariffs. Today, the Democratic establishment essentially portrays tariffs as reckless and harmful, ignoring their historical acknowledgment that tariffs are necessary for protecting American economic interests.

The Double Standard of Foreign Tariffs

While American policymakers hesitate, our trading partners freely erect economic walls to shield their industries:

• Canada imposes up to 298% tariffs on dairy, 237% on chicken, and substantial tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automotive goods.
• China and the EU similarly protect their industries aggressively, exploiting open American markets while safeguarding their own.

These aren't modest protections—they're outright market blockades. Are we to believe that when America imposes tariffs, it's reckless isolationism—but when other nations do so, it's prudent economic stewardship?

Contrary to Democratic rhetoric, tariffs are not isolationist measures. They are essential leverage for negotiating fair global trade agreements. They are also critical for national security—a lesson painfully reinforced during COVID-19 when China abruptly ceased exports of crucial medical supplies, leaving Americans vulnerable.

The China Threat

Beyond trade imbalances, China presents more serious systemic threats. Given the highly disproportionate trade balance, they pose an economic danger, engage in IP theft, and create security risks due to their espionage operations in the U.S.

Economic Leverage Requires Aggressive Action

This view is echoed by regional experts. Jorge Guajardo, former Mexican Ambassador to China, underscores the necessity of substantial tariffs. He highlights that moderate tariffs achieve little—China easily counters through currency manipulation and underpricing. Guajardo insists that only aggressive tariffs can meaningfully protect domestic industries.

His stark message is clear: for nations aligned with the U.S., there is no prosperous future in economic dependency on China. Strategic alignment and strong trade defenses are essential.

Jorge Guajardo's analysis (YouTube lecture, Spanish with AI translation):

Massive Chinese imports led to U.S. deindustrialization—millions of jobs lost in certain sectors and regions.

Guajardo argues aggressive tariffs are essential to protect domestic industries.

Technical or moderate tariffs are ineffective—China counters with devaluation or underpricing.

Guajardo strongly advises: "There is no future for Mexico with China. Zero. None."

Mexico should align closely with the U.S. in trade and supply chain policy.

Labor Exploitation and the Double Injustice

China's economic ascent has long been romanticized as a triumph of globalization, but beneath the veneer of progress lies a system built on exploitation. While Chinese factories churn out cheap goods for global markets, workers endure grueling hours under the illegal "996" regime—a modern-day indentured servitude—and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang face state-sponsored forced labor.

China functions as a capitalist dictatorship—a reality too often overlooked in trade debates. While the rest of the world operates within frameworks that provide social safety nets, China does not. It can impose whatever outcomes it desires on its population, regardless of abuse or human rights concerns. This is hardly the kind of environment, working conditions, and labor situation that a Democrat should support.

Meanwhile, Beijing imposes tariffs on U.S. goods far exceeding American duties, distorting trade and undermining U.S. industries. This dual assault on labor rights and fair competition demands a recalibration of U.S. policy: maintaining tariffs is not just an economic necessity but a moral imperative to combat systemic abuse.

Espionage, IP Theft, and Political Manipulation

The political debate over tariffs routinely ignores the core issue: China's economic aggression is inseparable from its government-sanctioned theft of American intellectual property and trade secrets. U.S. intelligence and congressional reports document that China's espionage and IP theft cost the U.S. economy up to $600 billion annually, draining innovation, destroying good-paying jobs, and giving Chinese firms an illegal advantage. This isn't just cyber hacking—China uses a full spectrum of tactics, from forced technology transfers and joint venture coercion to outright theft through human and cyber espionage. The ripple effects are profound: American companies lose revenue, small businesses face ruin, and the innovation ecosystem is undermined as R&D investments become riskier and less likely to pay off.

Politically, both parties have decried these abuses, yet too often the response is mired in hypocrisy and partisan gamesmanship. While politicians debate the optics of tariffs, China's campaign of economic espionage and political interference continues unabated, targeting not only corporations but also dissidents and critical infrastructure on U.S. soil. Any policymaker who dismisses robust trade protections as mere "protectionism" ignores the reality: defending American industry and workers from China's predatory practices is not just economic policy—it's a matter of national security and democratic integrity.

Why Tariffs Remain a Necessary Tool

Critics of tariffs argue they drive up prices. This narrow view ignores the broader reality: tariffs are one of the few effective levers the U.S. has to counter China's systematic economic aggression. Strategic tariffs—especially when combined with targeted subsidies like those in the CHIPS Act—do more than protect jobs: they help reshore critical industries, safeguard national security, and signal that the U.S. will not reward a regime that weaponizes its economy and its spies. The alternative—unrestricted trade with a government that disregards international norms—only emboldens exploitation, erodes our industrial base, and leaves America dangerously exposed.

Conclusion: Support American Industry and Workers, Not Rhetoric

Tariffs alone will not rebuild American manufacturing or secure the future of our middle class. However, they are an essential tool every major trading nation uses to defend its interests. The real problem isn't tariffs; it's the political hypocrisy and gaslighting that dominate current debates.

If Democrats now recognize the threats posed by China's predatory practices and the failures of unfettered globalization, then it's time to stop the partisan theater. Americans deserve an honest, transparent, and consistent trade policy—one that puts national security, industrial strength, and working families ahead of short-term political gain.

This means openly acknowledging the costs and trade-offs of tariffs, investing in workforce development and domestic industry, and demanding fair play from our trading partners. The era of gaslighting voters with empty rhetoric while quietly expanding tariffs behind closed doors must end.