On Feb. 1, the Trump Administration imposed a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on goods from China. Since then, President Donald Trump has continued to increase tariffs, having recently imposed a 145% tax on all Chinese imports. In retaliation to the administration's actions, China, the European Union and Canada have enacted their own tariffs: China began taxing American goods by 84% on April 10, Canada has matched the 25% tax on automobiles and the EU continues to develop plans on retaliation levies on $23 billion worth of U.S. goods. 

Fear surrounding tariffs and their effects on the U.S. economy have circulated the news and have many Americans worried. Prof. Peter Petri (BIBS), a recently retired Carl Shapiro Professor of International Finance, said in an April 25 interview with The Justice that “no part of the U.S. will be spared, not Waltham, not Brandeis.” He speculated that the tariffs, put into action on Liberation Day, could raise prices of goods, “suck out” hundreds of billions from the spending flow and contribute to higher unemployment rates. The price increase from tariffs occurs because there are fewer goods available on the market, yet demand is the same; hence, the prices for consumer goods are driven up, and the economy is hurt overall since there are fewer choices at a higher price. Petri took into account the needs of students, pointing out that those enrolled in the University are consumers of services, such as transportation and education, above material goods. Petri worries about how these commodities will be affected and predicts that uncertainty surrounding the viability of services will be students' greatest problem surrounding tariffs. 

While tariffs have been fear-inducing for the country, Petri said that “tariffs will hurt but they are an economic problem that will go away.” He emphasized that trade will continue and that the U.S. has the “world's biggest and most successful economy.” Furthermore, Petri views Trump’s “muscleing” of other countries as the president “trying to be a very important person.” 

Petri worries far more about the Trump administration's attacks on higher education institutions, such as Brandeis. Trump has threatened and cut many universities’ federal funding due to claims of antisemitism and promised that "all federal funding will STOP for any College, School or University that allows illegal protests." The Trump administration has since frozen $2.2 billion in grants for Harvard University along with other withholdings of previous federal support for a number of universities. Over 250 university leaders condemned Trump's attacks on high education by signing a joint statement. No Brandeis official was among them. 

 On April 24, 2025, Lauren Rikleen ’75 spoke at the event "Unraveling Justice: Responding to Our Democracy and the Rule of Law in Crisis." Rikleen is currently an executive director for a group of lawyers who are defending American democracy. Additionally, she has authored several books on inequality and strategies for workplace success. Rikleen emphasized how Trump’s actions have led to democratic backsliding because he promotes loyalty to himself over the country and weaponizes the media to fulfill his goals and appeal to his base. She argues that he engages in propaganda, or misleading information, to sway people’s opinions. Moreover, Rikleen stated how Trump is not open to having his opinions challenged and responds to critique by firing individuals. She further noted that he stated outright lies, such as "China is paying for the tariffs. It's really great. We're getting billions of dollars from China." Instead, while the U.S. has gained revenue from these tariffs, it was primarily American businesses and consumers who absorbed the costs of the tariffs. 

Donald Trump's war on tariffs has continued since congressional officials failed to uphold ethical principles such as their responsibility to their constituents, due to fear of losing their jobs given that Trump has a large base in the Republican Party. Consequently, Rikleen argued that younger generations have become disillusioned with democracy since they believe that changes are occurring too slowly and individuals are not adhering to constituents' wishes, as seen with Donald Trump, who has imposed tariffs despite dissenting opinions. Rikleen added how if Trump continues to enforce tariff hikes, the youth will have permanent distrust in American democracy. 

Petri pointed out that Brandeis benefits from many federally funded research grants. The National Institute of Health awarded Brandeis $37 million last year and with its proposed budget cuts, Brandeis will be losing $7.5 million each year. This deficit will force Brandeis to either fill the gaps for research with its own budget or cut back on projects. Brandeis has joined a lawsuit to fight against these cuts with other universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University. 

Petri stated that “people who have higher education and who are for it are a minority.” He fears that there is a resentment of elites in the U.S. and that universities and higher education as a whole are not sufficiently proving their importance. A study done by Gallup found that 32% of U.S. adults have little to no trust in higher education while 36% had a great deal of confidence. Just ten years ago, the same study had found that 56% of Americans had confidence in high education and just 10% held mistrust. Petri stated, “we as universities have to do a better job at selling the idea that this [higher education] is ultimately in everyone's interest.” 

While tariffs and attacks on universities are leaving many Americans feeling uncertain about the future, Petri ended the interview with a sentiment of hope. He stated, “America, we bounce, we rebound.”