5 ways Trump's next presidency could affect the U.S. economy — and your money
CBSOCT 25 2024
Walmart CFO Predicts Higher Prices Under Trump Tariffs
Image copyright: Robyn Beck/Staff/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Walmart's Chief Financial Officer, John David Rainey, said on Thursday that US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs "are going to be inflationary" for Walmart shoppers.
Rainey also said that "consumers are going to pay more for items" that are imported with tariffs.
This comes after he said, "We never want to raise prices. Our model is everyday low prices. But there probably will be cases where prices will go up for consumers."
The Spin
Republican narrative
If US-based retailers do the right thing, they won't have to raise prices. Tariffs are meant to make companies operate in the US and employ American workers. So Walmart's best move to maintain its advantage over its competitors will be to source products outside of China and try to get most of its products on US soil. Investors will need to be patriotic and understand that this could take some time for Walmart.
Democratic narrative
When top executives from some of America's biggest retailers tell the country that Trump's proposed tariffs will lead to higher prices, believe them. The across-the-board tariffs will be an extra tax on American families, bring back higher inflation, and force job cuts. Trump's second-term tariff policies are much more severe than those from his first term, and they should be shelved for the sake of the country.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
Political split
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