President Donald Trump's most recent tariffs are receiving mixed reactions in Colorado, as many people wait to see the impact.
Like a lot of farmers and ranchers in Colorado, Dallas Vaughn has been thinking a lot about tariffs.
“No doubt, [in the] short term, it's gonna have some great impacts on agriculture,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn runs a cattle ranch in Flagler, about two hours east of Denver, and is also with the Colorado Farm Bureau. He said farmers and ranchers were struggling even before the president’s tariffs due to declining commodity prices.
“Farm income this year is projected to be down 15% over last year,” Vaughn said. “I can't but help think that this isn't going to help us.”
LIBERATION DAY RECIPROCAL TARIFFS 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ODckbUWKvO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 2, 2025
Most economists Denver7 has spoken to say tariffs will hurt most people — at least short-term — and lead to higher prices.
"We have enough economic proof to show that that is not a good idea economically speaking,” said Kishore G Kulkarni, a distinguished professor of economics at Metropolitan State University Denver. “Consumers will have to pay higher prices, especially the goods that you use.”
Every Democrat in Colorado’s congressional delegation has criticized the tariffs.
"Well, it's unnecessary pain,” said Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado’s 6th District. “It's self-inflicted wounds in this case."
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who represents Colorado’s 7th District, believes the impact of the tariffs will be devastating.
"It is going to have devastating consequences to our economy,” Pettersen said.
Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced bipartisan-sponsored legislation on Friday to reestablish limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs without congressional approval.
“President Trump’s global trade war, including against some of our closest allies like Canada and Japan, is already sowing chaos and uncertainty, and working Americans are paying the price,” said Bennet. “This legislation will restore Congress’ authority over trade policy, as dictated by the Constitution, to protect the American people from shortsighted and harmful tariffs like these.”
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On the Republican side, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado’s 4th District said tariffs "level the playing field."
“I support President Trump's effort to level the playing field with the world,” Boebert said at a recent telephone town hall. “And I'm working with his administration to ensure that tariffs don't harm producers.”
Last fall, Boebert told Denver7 she trusts Trump more than economists on this issue.
"I don't believe the economists have this right,” Boebert said at the time. “President Trump has challenged some of the top economists who are making these claims, and I would agree with him that it liberates the American worker and our economy."
Rep. Gabe Evans said the tariffs will help farmers in his district who've been "disadvantaged in foreign trade deals."
“This admin puts America first, from strengthening our economy and national security to prioritizing hard-working Americans,” Evans said in a tweet on X. “Farmers in CO-08 have been disadvantaged in foreign trade deals & will benefit from reciprocal tariffs that promote FAIR and free trade.”
The White House touted Evan’s comments in a press release on Thursday.
“I’m a big believer in free trade, but it has to be fair trade, as well,” Evans said at a recent telephone town hall. “If American producers, Colorado producers, producers in Weld County or Adams County or Larimer County, if they are getting taken advantage of in the international community, that actually drives up costs for us because we don't have access to free and fair foreign markets that would be willing to pay for our top quality goods because of tariffs that are actually on U.S. goods by foreign countries.”
Before he was elected, Evans said things are better when there are fewer tariffs.
"I think the economy does better and prices are lower when we can have either lower tariffs or reduced tariffs,” said Evans.
Depending on how things turn out, Evans’ support for Trump’s tariffs could be a big issue when he runs for re-election next year. His district is one Democrats are targeting and hoping to recapture.
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While many Republicans support Trump’s tariffs, they have generally opposed tariffs in modern times.
A 1987 radio address by then-President Ronald Reagan resurfaced recently and has been injected into the political debate online. In his address, Reagan talked about new duties he placed on Japan, a step he said he was “loath to take” due to trade barriers hurting American consumers over the long term.
“High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” Reagan said. “The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition. So, soon, because of the prices made artificially high by tariffs that subsidize inefficiency and poor management, people stop buying. Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.”
Republicans aren’t the only ones who’ve been inconsistent on tariffs. Former President Joe Biden kept tariffs that the first Trump administration imposed on China.
Vaughn said many farmers are willing to wait and see the impact of Trump's tariffs.
"I think farmers and ranchers overwhelmingly supported him, and I think they're willing to trust him, too, for a while,” said Vaughn. “But at the same time, we can't let this drag on for months and months and months and have this uncertainty out there in the market.”
Republican Congressmen Jeff Hurd and Jeff Crank have not made any public comments about Trump’s tariffs and did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
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