Montana Knife Company is exactly the kind of American business that President Trump claims to support. The brand’s founder, Josh Smith, founded the company in his garage during the pandemic, with a dream to sell quality knives made in the U.S. Smith’s business grew like a “rocket ship” during the Biden administration, though Smith still described the former president’s economic policies as “horrendous.”
Smith “adamantly supported” Trump during the 2024 campaign. But, with Trump’s trade war causing higher taxes on imported goods and general confusion for U.S. businesses, Smith slammed the president’s tariff policies in a lengthy video explaining his company’s situation.
“Punish the guy making the knives in Taiwan and in China. I’m fine with that,” Smith said in the latest episode of his podcast, The Josh Smith Show. “But I’m the guy making knives in America, Donald Trump. Don’t punish me for making knives in America by tariffing my equipment and my steel supply. Tariff the guy that’s doing absolutely jack shit in America. That’s called nuance in your policies, and that’s what I’m asking for.”
It has been interesting to watch people learn a lesson on economics. There is definitely some pain for some people, but so far the tariffs haven’t led to inflation, and in the end some of our trade imbalance can be restored. “Business as Usual” should not include US exports being tariffed while not giving the same treatment to our imports. Favored trading partners relationships should be reciprocal and equal.
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