President Trump ordered tariffs on imported goods be raised to historic levels.
The stock market then plummeted to its biggest one-day loss since the pandemic sent global markets into a tailspin on March 16, 2020.
West Virginia’s congressional delegation, on the whole, has been supportive of the president’s protectionist moves.
“Today is a tough day, but I think the President is doing this because he wants to see our American worker and our American products be at a distinct and clear even keel with the rest of the world,” Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., told reporters during a Thursday briefing.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump rolled out “reciprocal tariffs” on what he termed “Liberation Day.” That includes an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent on imported goods, as well as additional import taxes on goods from dozens of countries and territories.
Details with TJ: Tariffs Tank Markets
Congressman Riley Moore, R-W.Va., attended the announcement. He is the author of legislation in the House to strengthen the executive’s negotiating power on reciprocal tariffs, aiming to reduce trade barriers that make it difficult for American manufacturers to access foreign markets.
Moore, who is the nephew of the senator, released a statement after the “Liberation Day” event to praise the president’s actions.
“President Trump is the only president in my lifetime to acknowledge how unfair trade has gutted the heartland and shipped countless jobs overseas. By finally reciprocating in-kind, we’ll force foreign competitors to the negotiating table, lower trade barriers, and ultimately create real free and fair trade across the board,” Moore said.
“I’m confident this move will boost our domestic manufacturing industry and fuel demand for American products across the globe.”
His counterpart in southern West Virginia, Congresswoman Carol Miller of Huntington, had this to say on social media just a couple of hours before the president announced the big tariffs:
“Thanks to President Trump, businesses are investing in America! Jobs are returning to the U.S. and our economy is growing rapidly.”
U.S. Senate vote
In the U.S. Senate this week, a majority of lawmakers voted to pass legislation to block some of the tariffs President Trump has imposed on Canada. The legislation could send a signal, but is unlikely to pass the House of Representatives.
Some Republicans — Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — voted in favor of the measure.
West Virginia’s senators, Capito and Jim Justice, voted no.
Canada is West Virginia’s largest export partner. In 2023, Canada was the destination for $181 million in West Virginia exports. China was next, with $36.3 million in West Virginia exports, followed by Mexico with $21.2 million.
Justice, a new Republican senator, presided over the vote.
51-48: The Senate passes a resolution to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
4 Republicans joined Democrats in voting yes:
• Susan Collins
• Mitch McConnell
• Lisa Murkowski
• Rand PaulThe measure is not expected to get a vote in the House. pic.twitter.com/gHtQaU6Tti
— The Recount (@therecount) April 2, 2025
Capito: ‘I’m concerned’
Stock markets responded to the international trade strains with sharp drops.
Major indexes like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average posted their worst days since 2020.
Investment firms like JP Morgan warned that maintaining the extensive tariffs increase the odds of tipping the United States and world economies into recession.
“Well, I’m concerned about this as well,” Capito said in response to a question by reporter Reshad Hudson of the Nexstar television stations.
“We’re getting a lot of phone calls into the office. If people are looking at their 401(k)s or retirement accounts, when you have a dramatic drop in the market like this, it obviously impacts that that segment and those accounts, and that’s worrisome.”
But Capito said the president has his reasons.
“The president’s goals here are to enhance the American worker, to bring more manufacturing back into this country, but to also make sure that we are treated on an even handed (level) with a lot of countries.
“In many cases, countries all over the world are taxing, are tariffing our products into their country at astronomical rates, which disadvantages are our products and also disadvantages our workers because we can’t compete. So the president has embarked on a reciprocal tariff regime, where if you tariff me 10, I’m going to tariff you 10.”
The senator predicted the situation will shift yet again.
“I don’t think these will be in place in six months the way they look right now,” she said.
Trump, speaking to national reporters today, said “it’s going very well.”
“The markets are going to boom, the stock is going to boom, the country is going to boom, and the rest of the world wants to see is there any way they can make a deal.” Trump said. “They’ve taken advantage of us for many, many years. For many years we’ve been at the wrong side of the ball. And I’ll tell you what, I think it’s going to be unbelievable.”
Democrats: ‘It’s a result of the Trump tariffs’
During a press conference at the state Capitol in Charleston, elected Democrats said their counterparts should be doing more to push back.
The sharp loss of investment value represents people’s ability to put food on the table when they retire, said West Virginia House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, who is a financial advisor in Huntington.
“It is affecting each and every one of us, and it’s a direct result of the Trump tariffs,” said Hornbuckle, D-Cabell.
The Democratic press conference focused on the tariffs and the stock market as well as federal job cuts under the Department of Government Efficiency.
Delegate John Williams, who is a financial advisor in Morgantown, said the stock market is tanking because of the tariffs.
“People are talking about a recession within the next year. My goodness it could happen within the next six months,” said Williams, D-Monongalia.
Williams said his Republican counterparts should be doing more to pressure federal officials like Senator Justice, who is former governor of the state.
“If you’re that close with him, send him a message and tell him to stick up for our people,” Williams said, raising his voice and slapping a podium. “And we’re not seeing that right now. No one is sticking up for West Virginians.
“No one that they elected is sticking up for them. And we can talk about it until we’re blue in the face every single day, but until Republicans start working for the people that elected them and stop trying to win MAGA member of the month, none of this is going to change.”