Ten years ago, the Iron Range swung hard to Donald Trump and the Republicans. Trump gave the United Steelworkers and mining companies something they always wanted: more tariffs on foreign steel. Then, last year, the steel industry started to stall. More than 600 Minnesota miners were laid off. Analysts quietly abandoned rosy projections about exploding domestic manufacturing and steel production.
Meantime, prices rose. This was actually good for steel companies, but bad for workers and consumers. Prices have risen so much that most Americans now perceive some sort of economic downturn even though company stocks and profits remain high.
In today’s column (gift link), I argue that — regardless of our political alignments — we should recognize when it’s time to make a change.
President Trump is not one to ever admit he was wrong about something, but he is one to quietly react to a reality he won’t speak aloud. That’s why a recent decision to lift tariffs and certain restrictions on farm equipment matters. It provides that the administration knows that it’s raising prices on working Americans.
Read “Finally, a Trump tariff that works: reducing tariffs,” in the Tuesday, June 8, 2026 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
