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Shortly before President Trump announced his broad, reciprocal tariffs, Senator Jacky Rosen contacted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to express her concerns about the tariffs’ effects on small businesses. Rosen, a Democrat representing Nevada, secured her second term last November, even as Trump carried the state for the first time. She spoke with TIME about the local impact of the tariffs, Nevada’s role as a national indicator, and the significance of Senator Cory Booker’s filibuster-style speech.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What are your expectations regarding the implications of these tariffs?
Essentially, they function as a national sales tax. The fundamental issue is how people manage their finances, which starts at home. Everywhere I went, I heard concerns about rising food prices. And I can assure you that food prices are set to skyrocket. The same goes for gas prices, affordable housing costs, and the prices of all materials needed for home or apartment construction – every nail, every piece of insulation, every piece of lumber. Everyone will feel the squeeze. And Nevada will be hit particularly hard, because when people are worried about their financial security, they cut back on vacations. We’ve already seen a 70% decrease in visitors from Canada.
My friends, my community, my state, will be hit with higher prices and reduced tourism, creating a double burden that will harm our businesses.
You won re-election last year in Nevada, a state that Trump won after losing it in the previous two presidential elections. What missteps did Democrats make there, and what different approach did you take?
Nevada is a crucial battleground state with a large working-class population. We’re a pragmatically purple state. Independent voters seek practical problem-solvers, which is why I won. Hardworking families are struggling with the high cost of living, and they were looking for change. On a national scale, I believe Democrats have struggled to connect with working-class voters and address their primary concerns. We experienced significant losses with working-class voters in 2024, particularly within our Latino and Asian communities, which were key areas where I performed better than the overall ticket. Voters want leaders who listen and stand up against corporate special interests.
Could you provide more specific examples? What actions were you taking that Kamala Harris wasn’t?
I focused on concrete issues. Consider the kitchen table again. What’s the first thing people worry about? Buying food. In Nevada, we have two main grocery chains: Kroger and Albertsons. They were planning to merge. What would that mean? In some rural communities, they were the only two grocery stores. If they merged, would they keep both stores open? Certainly not. This would result in job losses. Additionally, with only one store remaining, would prices decrease? Of course not. So, we blocked the Kroger-Albertsons merger, which was significant for Nevada.
We’re also facing an affordable housing crisis. Particularly in Southern Nevada, corporations are buying up homes and apartments. We’re pursuing legislation to prevent these corporate investors from price-gouging residents. We ran TV ads highlighting both of these issues, and I discussed them extensively.
I think too many Democrats in D.C. spent their time attempting to convince people that inflation in America wasn’t as bad as elsewhere, or that they were doing better than they perceived. That wasn’t the reality for most people, and it made our party seem disconnected.
Do the Democrats have a strategy to counter Trump? If so, what is it?
The losses in the recent election and Trump’s victory were surprising to many. It’s no secret that we’re in the minority in Congress, which limits our influence. It hasn’t even been 100 days yet. I think we’re beginning to understand the levers we can pull.
I believe a turning point was . Many initially thought no one would tune in at 2 a.m. for just another speech. But by the end, all the Democrats were there, and there were tears and applause, a powerful emotional response. Then came the Hands Off demonstrations. And people began calling us, saying, “You all stood up. You used your voice. We aren’t powerless, we’re going to use ours.”
I didn’t expect it to be such a profound moment. The tears and applause were a cathartic release, a realization that even without all the legislative tools, we are not powerless. Now it’s time to get to work. It felt like a call to action. I feel a renewed sense of purpose.
Understand the key issues in Washington. .
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