‘Less for you, more for us'

Karen Adler, Jacksonville (Indivisible Mandarin member)

Published May, 2025 The Florida Times Union Letters to the Editor

In defense of his universal tariffs, President Donald Trump has stated that little girls don’t need as many dolls. That echoes the phrase attributed to Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution — “Let them eat cake.”  

Both comments express a disconnect between the privileged and the struggles of the poor, suggesting the speaker is unaware of or insensitive to the suffering of others. It’s a response to hardship or injustice that lacks understanding and empathy. 

David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic, explains in his article, “The Trump-Tariff Advice: Eat Less,” that Trump and Congressional Republicans promote tariffs to shift the costs of financing the U.S. government from Americans to foreigners. Some also suggest that tariffs might do away with the need for income taxes altogether.  

Trump apparently expects Americans to sacrifice while exempting himself and his billionaire supporters. Frum describes how “income taxes fall most heavily on the affluent, while tariffs fall most heavily on the middle class and poor.” According to Frum, the president has also sold his party on tariffs to shift the cost of government away from his rich donors to the voters. 

The real message of Republican economic policy? “Less for you, more for us.”