Staff Reports
Back in 1996, Nancy Pelosi stood on the House floor and slammed China’s unfair trade practices. She called out how the U.S. let Chinese goods flood American markets with barely any tariffs, while China slapped harsh taxes on U.S. products. Pelosi warned this was crushing American workers and fueling China’s rise.
Pelosi didn’t hold back. She said China’s 35% tariffs on U.S. goods were a “ripoff” compared to America’s 2% tariffs on Chinese imports. The trade deficit had exploded from $3.5 billion to $34 billion since the Tiananmen Square massacre. She called the relationship a “job loser” for America, arguing China gained 10 million jobs while the U.S. got barely 170,000. Pelosi even warned that cheap Chinese labor and stolen technology threatened American industries.
Pelosi’s fears came true. In Ohio’s manufacturing towns, nearly 25,000 jobs vanished after China got special trade status. Factories closed, families moved away, and drug deaths soared. Once-thriving neighborhoods turned into ghost towns. Pelosi had warned this would happen, saying China’s trade surplus “sustains the regime” while hollowing out America.
Decades later, President Trump slapped a 104% tariff on China to force fairness. His team says it’s what Pelosi demanded in 1996. But now, Pelosi calls Trump’s move a “tax hike” that hurts families. Conservatives point out the irony: Democrats once warned about China but now oppose the tough steps they asked for.
Pelosi’s old speech shows how both parties ignored China’s threats for years. Trump’s tariffs aim to reverse the damage, but critics say it’s too late. For conservative voters, the lesson is clear: America needs leaders who act on their warnings, not just talk. Pelosi’s words from 1996 haunt her party’s shift toward weak trade policies that put China first.
