Astead W. Herndon

So, why this moment? Well, I think that I wanted there to be some time for things to set in, and I have had the experience before of the year after an election, a lot of the electorate, particularly the folks I spend a lot of time with, people who are not hyper-politics obsessed, they're news consumers in a huge way, they often step back from politics in that year after. They disconnect.

So, why this moment? Well, I think that I wanted there to be some time for things to set in, and I have had the experience before of the year after an election, a lot of the electorate, particularly the folks I spend a lot of time with, people who are not hyper-politics obsessed, they're news consumers in a huge way, they often step back from politics in that year after. They disconnect.

Disconnect, you know? They got lives. unlike us, you know? And it felt like this moment was the time to check back in, specifically around tariffs. And just explain why. Yeah, I mean, obviously, this has become his signature economic policy.

Disconnect, you know? They got lives. unlike us, you know? And it felt like this moment was the time to check back in, specifically around tariffs. And just explain why. Yeah, I mean, obviously, this has become his signature economic policy.

And it's his signature economic policy after an election where he was largely successful because people attributed his competency on the economy to being preferable to Democrats. I mean, we heard more about groceries and eggs and all that stuff last year than any other issue.

And it's his signature economic policy after an election where he was largely successful because people attributed his competency on the economy to being preferable to Democrats. I mean, we heard more about groceries and eggs and all that stuff last year than any other issue.

And so considering, I think, the shock of the Liberation Day announcement, the sweeping nature of it, and the prospect of increased inflation in the future, it just crystallized, I think, a moment that feels like we're finally in the Trump presidency. Right. Like we've turned the page from the kind of Biden moment to him kind of reshaping policy and government itself.

And so considering, I think, the shock of the Liberation Day announcement, the sweeping nature of it, and the prospect of increased inflation in the future, it just crystallized, I think, a moment that feels like we're finally in the Trump presidency. Right. Like we've turned the page from the kind of Biden moment to him kind of reshaping policy and government itself.

And it's so kind of total and complete in a way that I thought it was a higher likelihood that it's cut through to people and they might have some sense of reaction.

And it's so kind of total and complete in a way that I thought it was a higher likelihood that it's cut through to people and they might have some sense of reaction.

Well, the first person that came to mind is a woman named Monica.

Well, the first person that came to mind is a woman named Monica.

Monica is someone we met last spring, and we tracked how she kind of made her decision on who to vote for throughout the months leading up to the election. I wanted to know how you ended up voting.

Monica is someone we met last spring, and we tracked how she kind of made her decision on who to vote for throughout the months leading up to the election. I wanted to know how you ended up voting.

And I thought of Monica specifically for a couple reasons. One, she lives in Michigan, kind of home of auto industry. She's a fourth-generation auto worker. And then most specifically, I remember her explaining to me after the election that tariffs were part of the reason she voted for Donald Trump.

And I thought of Monica specifically for a couple reasons. One, she lives in Michigan, kind of home of auto industry. She's a fourth-generation auto worker. And then most specifically, I remember her explaining to me after the election that tariffs were part of the reason she voted for Donald Trump.

The plant that she works at is a Chrysler plant, which is owned by Stellantis, and it's been going through a lot of changes over the last several years. And actually, the car that she was making got outsourced to Mexico, and she's been laid off for several months.

The plant that she works at is a Chrysler plant, which is owned by Stellantis, and it's been going through a lot of changes over the last several years. And actually, the car that she was making got outsourced to Mexico, and she's been laid off for several months.

And so one thing that Monica said was that she liked the idea that Trump was talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back to America and that tariffs were his tool to do so.

And so one thing that Monica said was that she liked the idea that Trump was talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back to America and that tariffs were his tool to do so.