Like most of us, I’m furious - but not surprised - to see money in politics rear its ugly head again in the current tariff discussions with Mexico and Canada. The American public, by and large, hates this idea. Polls show upwards of 60% of citizens oppose slapping tariffs on our closest neighbors, and for good reason: it’s a policy that promises higher prices, job losses, and economic chaos. Yet, here we are, watching Congress tiptoe around the issue like it’s a live grenade, too scared to defy the deep-pocketed interests pushing this disaster forward. It’s not just a betrayal of the people—it’s a neon sign flashing how broken our system is when cash calls the shots.

Let’s cut through the noise. President Trump’s 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, implemented March 4, 2025, under the guise of curbing immigration and drug trafficking, are a sledgehammer where a scalpel might’ve sufficed.

Economic models - like those from the Global Trade Analysis Project - predict a bloodbath: over 177,000 U.S. job losses without retaliation, ballooning to 400,000 if Canada and Mexico hit back, which they’ve already started doing. Wages could drop by 0.2% here, and far worse north and south of the border. The Tax Foundation estimates an average household tax hike of $1,072, hitting the poorest the hardest. Avocados, cars, lumber - everyday costs are spiking, and the ripple effects are just beginning.

So why is this happening when most Americans are against it? Follow the money.

Corporate lobbyists and industries with fat wallets - like steel, aluminum, and certain manufacturing sectors - stand to gain from protectionism, even if it screws over consumers and workers in integrated supply chains like automotive and agriculture.

These players have dumped millions into campaign coffers and super PACs, ensuring their voices drown out ours.

In 2024 alone, political spending hit $10.8 billion, with a chunk from trade-focused industries betting on tariffs to pad their bottom lines. Representatives, addicted to this cash, are paralyzed, afraid to cross the donors who keep their seats warm.

The disconnect is stark. A February 2025 survey by the American Economic Association found 63% of voters opposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, with opposition jumping to 70% in border states where trade ties are tightest.

People get it - they know a Chevy Silverado’s parts cross borders multiple times before it’s built, and a 25% tariff at each step means a price tag that’ll choke middle-class budgets. They see Mexico’s $46 billion in agricultural exports - think strawberries, tequila, and yes, those Super Bowl avocados - turning into luxury goods overnight.

But Congress? They’re not listening to you. They’re listening to the checkbooks.

This isn’t new. Big money’s been warping trade policy for decades. Look at the 2018 steel tariffs—same playbook. The American Iron and Steel Institute cheered while consumers ate the cost, with producer prices ticking up 2.4%, per the Federal Reserve.

Today’s tariffs are that on steroids, and the beneficiaries are already cashing in. Meanwhile, representatives who should be fighting for their constituents are either silent or parroting the donor line, terrified of losing the next election’s war chest.

The hypocrisy burns. Trump’s own USMCA, hailed as a trade triumph, is being torched by these tariffs, yet the GOP stays mum—many of their campaigns are bankrolled by the same interests. Democrats aren’t much better; some grumble, but few have the spine to push back hard when their own donors play both sides. It’s a bipartisan sellout, and we’re the ones paying the price.

Here’s the kicker: this could’ve been avoided. Targeted border security measures or diplomatic pressure might’ve addressed immigration and fentanyl without tanking North American trade. But nuance doesn’t pay dividends to lobbyists. Tariffs do. And as long as money floods Congress, our representatives will keep picking donors over voters.

We need to rip the cash out of politics - yesterday - and we’ve got tools to make it happen.

Platforms like VoteDown.org let us hit lawmakers where it hurts: their reelection odds.

By tracking their votes, calling out their donor ties, and mobilizing grassroots pressure, we can force Congress to prioritize OUR needs - jobs, affordable goods, a sane economy - over Big Money’s wish list.

Flood their inboxes, crash their town halls, donate against them, and amplify the message: represent us, not the lobbyists, or we’ll vote you out.

Until we break the money chokehold with real action, not just words, lawmakers will keep selling us out.

Share this. Join the fight. Demand they answer to us, not the highest bidder.


Hashtags: #MoneyOutOfPolitics #NoTariffs #BigMoneyBetrayal #CongressForSale #TradeWarSucks #AmericaFirstNotDonorsFirst #VoteDown #VoteDownTheSellouts