President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff proposals could alienate key parts of his voter base, a former Republican congressman warned over the weekend, calling the strategy a political gamble that risks undermining support from immigrants and working-class Americans.
On Sunday, former GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida appeared on MSNBC and voiced concern that Trump's rhetoric and economic proposals may repel voters who once embraced him as a symbol of opportunity and prosperity.
Curbelo noted that many immigrant voters who supported Trump did so with the belief that America would empower their individual freedom and financial independence—not impose new sacrifices in the name of nationalism.
"A lot of those people came to our country because they believe this is a country of abundance," Curbelo said. "They were told in their countries many times by their leaders that they had to sacrifice in the name of some national policy or some national objective, or maybe due to a conflict with another country, people come to the United States because they want freedom."
"They want to know that they're in control of their own destiny. And I think when they hear that kind of language from Donald Trump, it really is a turnoff. So Donald Trump has built an impressive coalition of support. I think he is certainly testing it and challenging it with these kinds of statements and policies," he continued.
Curbelo emphasized that Trump's escalating tariff talk might remind immigrants of the failed economic policies of their home countries—policies often enforced under the guise of national interest, but that led to scarcity and suffering.
Trump now faces the challenge of holding together a diverse political base while advancing populist policies that may not benefit all of its members.
Originally published on Latin Times
