It might have been easy to miss the fact that President Donald Trump visited South Texas on Friday, what with the U.S. and Israel raining bombs on Iran.
During an afternoon visit to the Port of Corpus Christi, Trump patted himself on the back for the White House’s energy and economic policies. Needless to say, critics were quick to point out that the president’s actions hadn’t exactly made for smooth economic sailing for Lone Star State businesses and consumers.
We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition of 950 businesses nationwide opposing the Trump tariffs, demanded that the president use the visit to tell Texas businesses when they can expect refunds for the cost of his import taxes. The White House owes Texas small businesses $11 billion for “now-illegal tariff costs,” the group said in an emailed statement.
“They are owed every penny back,” We Pay the Tariffs Executive Director Dan Anthony said. “Congress and the administration must ensure that refunds are issued automatically, without requiring small businesses to hire lawyers or navigate complex claims processes.”
Similarly, the Democratic National Campaign Committee seized on Trump’s appearance to point out that most folks aren’t terribly enthusiastic about the state of the economy.
“If Donald Trump wants to remind South Texans how terrible the economy is, he can be our guest,” DNCC spokeswoman Madison Andrus said in a statement. “No amount of lies will change the fact that home building has ground to a halt because of his recklessness, his chaotic tariffs are devastating the domestic oil industry and he’s abandoned Texas farmers and ranchers to cut a deal with Argentina.”
Still, hope sprang eternal for Corpus Christi business boosters that Trump would address their concerns.
Al Arreola Jr., CEO of United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, told KSAT 12 that he hoped Trump’s visit would spotlight the area’s economic activity. Meanwhile, Sarah Tindall, chief operating officer of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp., told the TV station she hoped Trump would address industrial demand and infrastructure.
However, Trump didn’t explicitly address either of those things during his speech.
Instead, he bragged about the booming energy industry, citing the country’s relationship with Venezuela and policies allowing more aggressive oil drilling. He then advocated for the Save America Act and took a thematic left turn into something that doesn’t seem tied to the economy at all: transgender athletes.
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