In an unexpected twist, Fox News left its MAGA-leaning viewers reeling on Wednesday morning when host Steve Doocy delivered a rare dose of reality about Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs. The segment spotlighted a small business owner whose livelihood is on the brink of collapse after the administration’s latest trade policy took effect.
At midnight, Trump rolled out a staggering 104% tariff on Chinese imports, prompting an immediate retaliation from Beijing with an 84% tariff on American goods. The fallout was swift—and Fox & Friends didn’t shy away from the gritty details. Doocy kicked off the discussion by referencing an exclusive New York Post story about a special needs toy importer caught in the crossfire.
“This guy’s been paying a tariff because he gets stuff from China—$26,000 a year,” Doocy explained. “But when the tariffs kicked in at midnight, his bill shot up to $346,000.” The jaw-dropping jump, he noted, is money the importer will have to pull straight from his own pocket. “It sounds like he’s going to have to shut down part of his business,” Doocy added, his tone somber.
The business owner had tried to pivot, exploring domestic production to dodge the import costs. But even that couldn’t save him. “The tariff on his most popular item went from $0 to $17 overnight,” Doocy said, relaying the importer’s frustration. “He told the Post that people just don’t get how tariffs work. They think foreign countries foot the bill. That’s not true.”
Doocy didn’t stop there. He dropped a bombshell that likely stunned his audience: “Half of the tariffs are being paid by U.S.-based companies. So when you see those big numbers and they look good, just remember—according to this guy—half of small businesses and half of the tariffs are being paid by Americans.”
The segment marks a rare departure for Fox, a network long seen as a cheerleader for Trump’s agenda. For years, critics—including economists and trade experts—have warned that Trump’s tariff promises were built on shaky ground. Before the election, many sounded the alarm: his claim that foreign nations would bear the cost was a fantasy, and the real burden would fall on American businesses and consumers. Now, as stories like this importer’s pile up, those predictions are proving painfully accurate.
The toy importer’s plight is just one thread in a growing tapestry of economic distress. From coast to coast, small businesses are grappling with the ripple effects of the trade war Trump reignited. The importer’s annual costs rocketing from $26,000 to $346,000 isn’t an outlier—it’s a warning. For a man whose business caters to special needs children, the tariff hike could mean more than lost profits; it’s a potential death knell for his mission.
China’s retaliatory 84% tariff on U.S. goods only deepens the wound, threatening American exporters already on edge. Meanwhile, Trump has touted the tariffs as a win, insisting they’ll force foreign powers to bend. But as Doocy’s report laid bare, the reality is far messier—and it’s American wallets taking the hit.
For MAGA loyalists tuning into Fox & Friends, this wasn’t the narrative they signed up for. The network’s decision to air this unvarnished account, complete with a small business owner’s despair, might signal a crack in the facade—or at least a fleeting moment of clarity. Either way, the message was unmistakable: Trump’s tariff gamble is backfiring, and the casualties are piling up at home.
