WA Republican Leadership Accuse Democrats Of Destroying Economy, But Shrug At Trump’s Tariffs

Stokesbary and Braun sure had a lot to say about the economy before Trump came up!

At their Tuesday media availability, Republican lawmakers in Olympia painted themselves as the only adults in the room when it comes to economic policy — railing against the Democrats proposed taxes on corporations, the wealthy, and even “joy” (namely, ZYN pouches). But when asked to weigh in on President Donald Trump’s chaotic trade war, particularly as it threatens rural Washington communities, their economic bravado vanished. 

House Minority Leader Rep. Drew Stokesbary (R-Auburn) opened the media availability earlier this week by criticizing the Democrats for their proposed 1% B&O tax surcharge on big business, the wealth tax proposals, which he called the “innovation tax,” and the statewide payroll tax on Washington’s biggest businesses, which he described as a “literal tax on jobs.”

He mocked the Democrats, saying, “Anybody who can’t follow that economic theory, that’s okay. You can just look at the experience Seattle has had where they are getting way less revenue than they thought and they are hemorrhaging jobs to places like Bellevue and other cities around the state because if you make the price of something more expensive there will be less of it. So, if we are going to add a tax on jobs you will see less jobs in Washington and more jobs in Florida, and Texas, and Idaho, and Nevada.”

Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia) also hopped on the Democrat-hate-train, calling their policies “economy ruining.” 

Then, Washington State Standard reporter Jerry Cornfield asked about what concerns lawmakers hear from their constituents, particularly in rural agriculture communities, about Trump’s tariffs.

“I think there’s gonna be some short-term pain for long-term gain,” said Sen. Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro Wooley). “I don’t claim to be an economic genius in any way, shape, or form. I’m gonna wait and see, I’m gonna give this a wait and see and hopefully this will land in the right place.”

Rep. April Connors (R-Kennewick) seconded Wagoner’s “wait and see” mindset. Stokesbary and Braun did not answer Cornfield’s question during the presser and did not respond to my request for comment. 

But if Republicans want any clout as the economic whizzes they pretend to be, they should, without hesitation, clown on Trump’s harebrained scheme. 

Across the board, experts agree Trump’s tariffs flout basically every Econ 101 rule about how trade works. So, Washington Democrats don’t feel obligated to take a “wait and see” approach. Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn told KING5 that “trade policy might feel a bit distant to the average Washingtonian, but it is deeply, deeply personal for us.” 

With about two in five jobs in Washington linked to trade, Nguyễn told KING5 that the tariffs will be disruptive. 

 "They disrupt people’s lives. They disrupt their jobs. They disrupt industries like Boeing, our shipping terminals, our farmers, our tech companies — all of this is on the line. And I also want to be very clear about what’s at stake: affordability, stability, and opportunity in every corner of our state is being jeopardized by this manufactured crisis.”

For all their talk of economic doom, Washington Republicans seem awfully quiet when it’s their guy lighting the match. You can’t claim to protect jobs while turning a blind eye to the wrecking ball swinging through Washington’s trade economy.