In a recent statement, Newsweek claimed that tariffs are a lifeline to the middle class, but this is nothing more than right-wing propaganda.

When businesses import goods from other countries, they pay tariffs. These tariffs are then shifted to the people of our country, resulting in higher prices for goods. Businesses do this to preserve their profit margins and transfer the tariff costs to consumers.

However, I would agree with https://www.brookings.edu/articles/did-trumps-tariffs-benefit-american-workers-and-national-security/

Multiple studies suggest this is not the case: the cost of tariffs has been borne almost entirely by American households and American firms, not foreign exporters. This has a significant impact on the financial well-being of these entities. While estimates vary, economic analyses suggest the average American household has paid between several hundred and a thousand dollars or more per year thanks to higher consumer prices attributable to the tariffs.

The impact of Trump’s tariffs was that they helped some industries but hurt others by causing job losses in those sectors. For example, during the Trump administration, there were higher prices for items such as washers and the steel industry.

The Trump tariffs have caused significant damage to the farming industry due to retaliatory tariffs from China, Russia, and our allies. China imposed a 2.5% to 25% tariff on imported goods from the USA, which included most farm products such as soybeans and pork exports. Other countries also retaliated by imposing tariffs on farm products.

When Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, it caused a $27 billion loss in 2019. Soybean exports declined by 71%, followed by a 7% drop in sorghum and a 5% drop in pork exports. These losses were most heavily felt in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas due to the retaliatory tariffs imposed by foreign countries, resulting in a loss of $16 billion.

The fishing industry in Alaska was also affected, as the food was processed in China and then returned to the USA. The seafood industry was strained between Russia and the USA because the Ukraine/ Russia war worsened matters.https://taxfoundation.org/blog/tariffs-trade-war-agriculture-food-prices/