To: Interested Parties
From: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Date: April 2, 2026
Subject: ONE YEAR AFTER ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS, THE DCCC CONTINUES TO HOLD HOUSE REPUBLICANS ACCOUNTABLE FOR DRIVING UP COSTS
One year ago, Donald Trump and House Republicans promised “Liberation Day” Tariffs would lower costs and strengthen the economy. Instead, costs are up and American families are paying the price.
After a year of reckless tariffs and unified Republican control, groceries, utilities, school supplies, and everyday essentials are more expensive. Research shows that Americans, not foreign countries, are paying for tariffs, with nearly all of the cost passed on to consumers.
At the same time, 7 in 10 Americans say tariffs are increasing their cost of living. Even Republican voters are expressing disapproval of the tariffs, with only 36% of Republicans saying the tariffs will have “mostly positive effects” on them and their families.
After running on lowering costs in 2024, House Republicans’ support of Trump’s tariffs have turned their central 2024 promise into their biggest 2026 liability.
House Republicans Promised Lower Costs. Their Tariffs Delivered Higher Prices.
Over the past year, the DCCC has run multiple nationwide paid campaigns framing the disastrous effects of Republicans’ reckless tariffs as another part of their broken promise to the American people:
- The DCCC launched HouseRepublicanPriceHike.com in July, offering an easy tool for monitoring price increases on groceries.
- At the start of the school year, the DCCC ran ads in 11 of the most competitive Republican-held districts calling out vulnerable House Republicans for backing the reckless tariffs that directly made back-to-school shopping more expensive.
- The DCCC followed that up with a four-figure ad buy targeting Latino, Black, and AANHPI battleground voters highlighting the work of Democratic Frontliners who are fighting to keep costs low.
- Over Labor Day weekend, the DCCC launched an ad campaign targeting young men and highlighting that Republican tariffs are driving up the cost of beer and burgers.
- As AANHPI voters got ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the DCCC ran print ads calling out House Republicans for making the holiday more expensive.
- For the Super Bowl, the DCCC used HouseRepublicanPriceHike.com to spotlight cost increases to gameday essentials like beer, soda, potato chips, ground beef, chicken, and American cheese.
Additionally, Democrats across the battlefield, both Frontliners and Democratic challengers, are hammering Republicans for their cost-increasing agenda, and calling out tariffs as a central reason for rising prices on everyday goods.
Bottom Line
After Liberation Day, House Republicans said these chaotic tariffs would usher in “the golden age of manufacturing” and were “short term pain for long term gain.” Instead, Trump’s tariffs and Republican support of them have become a political albatross, powering electoral loss after electoral loss — and this broken promise will ultimately cost them the House in November.