Tariffs hit like a Mack truck

Today, Explained

Vox

Daily News, Politics, News

4.4 • 9.5K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Workers at a Mack truck plant in Pennsylvania hoped tariffs would help protect their jobs. Now they are facing layoffs — and corporate is citing tariffs as the reason. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Dan Hand has worked at Mack Truck's Lehigh Valley plant for nearly three decades. Photo by Miles Bryan for Vox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The American economy is starting to shake under the weight of President Trump's tariff chaos.
0:07.1	So your answer to the concern about the tariffs is everything's going to be hunky-dory.
0:11.5	Everything's going to be just fine.
0:13.4	And it's not just the stock market anymore.
0:15.6	The national economy we learned today shrank in the first quarter of this year.
0:19.4	Down three-tenths of percent. We haven't had a negative number since first quarter of 22.
0:24.6	If it shrinks in the second, that's the dictionary definition of a recession, folks.
0:28.6	Chinese exports to the U.S. are plunging.
0:31.6	Keep your third eye open for shortages.
0:32.6	And around the country, tariff layoffs are underway.
0:36.6	Major layoffs for UPS.
0:38.2	By next month, 20,000 workers will lose their job,
0:41.0	and that's on top of several facilities set to close.
0:43.4	All of this, says the Prez,
0:45.1	to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.
0:47.2	Except, as we're gonna hear,
0:48.6	the tariff layoffs are hitting manufacturing now too.
0:52.1	Coming up on today, explained, we take a trip. Everything's going to be just
0:56.2	fine. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start,
1:04.6	Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish
1:09.9	and satin, or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking
1:12.0	sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire
	...

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