Trump's Tariff Strategy Aimed at Reviving American Working Class, Says 'MAGA Leftist'

Batya Ungar-Sargon, a self-described ‘MAGA leftist,’ argues that President Trump’s tariff policies are set to significantly benefit the American working class in the long term.

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, journalist and author Batya Ungar-Sargon expressed her belief that President Donald Trump’s tariff war will lead to substantial gains for the United States, particularly for its working-class citizens. Ungar-Sargon, who identifies as a ‘MAGA leftist,’ attributes the necessity of these tariffs to the long-standing effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the subsequent offshoring of manufacturing jobs to countries like China and Mexico.

Ungar-Sargon highlighted the severe impact of these economic shifts on American communities, particularly in the Rust Belt, where the loss of manufacturing jobs has led to widespread social and economic issues. She pointed out the rise in ‘deaths of despair’ and the fentanyl crisis as direct consequences of the decline in well-paying, middle-class jobs. “We basically took all of these good middle-class jobs and shipped them overseas to build up China and Mexico’s middle class,” she explained, emphasizing the detrimental effects on American workers and their communities.

Despite opposition from critics like Bill Maher, who argue that the era of manufacturing in the U.S. is over, Ungar-Sargon remains optimistic. She insists that the manufacturing jobs have not disappeared but have been relocated abroad, and President Trump’s tariff strategy is a step towards bringing them back. “All of that manufacturing is still being done. It’s just being done in other countries and building up their middle class,” she stated, defending the administration’s efforts to reverse this trend.

Ungar-Sargon also noted early successes of Trump’s tariff policies, such as significant investments by manufacturers and increased pressure on Mexico and Canada to address border security and fentanyl trafficking. She believes these measures will help stop the ‘upward funnel of wealth’ from working-class Americans to the elite, making American labor competitive again both domestically and globally.

While acknowledging that the implementation of tariffs has been somewhat chaotic, Ungar-Sargon is confident about their long-term benefits. She sees Trump’s tariff strategy as a move to restore respect and dignity to the American working class, aiming to reverse the trend of men dropping out of the workforce and struggling to start families. “Trump can’t stand when the U.S. is treated like a patsy,” she said, underscoring the president’s commitment to fairness and respect for American workers.