The White House has recently unveiled new artwork featuring four historical American leaders alongside President Trump, all of whom championed tariffs during their time.
Announced by White House staff member Harrison Fields, the piece is titled “The Triff Men.” It showcases portraits of former Presidents William McKinley, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and former Congressman Henry Clay, all positioned around Trump.
McKinley, who often expressed admiration for Trump, pushed successfully for the 1890 Customs Act. On Trump’s first day in office, he even renamed Mount McKinley in homage, referring to him as “Talent King.”
This pivotal bill raised import taxes to 50%, a decision made amid a robust manufacturing surge. However, many experts believe this policy had a detrimental economic impact and led to political unrest during the 1890s, according to the University of Birmingham.
Lincoln also supported tariffs. In 1861, he remarked that “Tax is what food is for the government and for the family.” This issue sharply divided opinions during the Civil War, highlighting significant economic disparities between the North and South. Lincoln implemented customs policies to safeguard northern manufacturing interests.
Jefferson held a more complex stance on tariffs. Initially, he relied on them for government revenue. Yet, he grew concerned about the implications of heavy government involvement in trade, believing such measures contradicted the principles of limited governance.
In 1807, he endorsed the Embargo Act, which aimed to protect American neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars by halting trade with Britain and France. Dubbed “peaceful coercion,” the act ended up harming the American economy without achieving its goals in Europe, as noted by the University of Virginia.
Finally, Henry Clay, a former Senator from Kentucky, was a highly regarded figure in the Senate, often considered its most influential member. His “American System,” formulated post-Civil War in 1912, was focused on fostering manufacturing through protective customs policies, alongside establishing national banks and funding infrastructure projects like roads and canals.
