Savannah Morning News: “No, it’s not a short-term pain,” Savannah retiree Amy Soeldner said. “This is a year in.”
“MAGA warrior” Rep. Buddy Carter is dismissing the economic strain caused by tariffs as “short-term pain,” according to reporting from Savannah Morning News. But one year after the tariff rollout, interviews with his constituents show Georgia residents and business owners are still struggling with increased grocery prices, utility bills, and instability.
All three GOP candidates for U.S. Senate have supported Trump’s illegal tariffs even while Georgians suffer:
- MAGA extremist Mike Collins said he’s “not worried about the tariffs” and he thinks “it’s good.”
- Failed, fired, loser former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley said Trump’s tariffs have “been a good tool,” and claimed “we’ve gotten some great deals out of these tariffs.”
Savannah Now: A Year After Trump’s Tariffs, Savannah Residents Still Feel The Impact
By Ansley Franco | April 27, 2026
KEY EXCERPTS:
- A year after President Donald Trump rolled out sweeping tariffs under what he called “Liberation Day,” Savannah residents and business owners say the economic effects are still unfolding, often in ways that are subtle and cumulative. […]
- That strain, some locally say, has not eased. […]
- For one local business owner, the most significant change over the past year has not been a single cost increase, but a broader sense of instability.
- “I think the main thing that I felt was the level of uncertainty,” he said. “It’s hard to give [employees] information. It’s like, ‘I don’t know’.” […]
- “If people’s basic needs aren’t being met, then how are they able to spend money” on non-essential services, he said. That shift has shown up in customer traffic, as households reprioritize spending.
- The owner described the past year as “tough,” pointing to the difficulty of planning in an environment where costs and policy signals remain unclear. He asked to remain anonymous in fear of retribution including political retaliation.
- For many residents, the impact of tariffs has appeared gradually, surfacing in everyday expenses. Simone Hovel said the first sign came through an unexpected source.
- “My first acknowledgement… was actually a veterinarian bill,” she said, describing a sharp increase in the cost of emergency care and specialized pet food. Since then, she has adjusted her spending habits, such as cutting back on travel, limiting discretionary purchases and paying closer attention to utility use.
- “I am not quite as quick to turn on the AC or the heat,” she said.
- Grocery costs have also risen. Hovel, who stocks local community pantries, said her weekly spending has climbed significantly.
- “It was between $75 and $95… and now it’s over $120,” she said.
- She has also noticed changes in who is shopping at lower-cost grocery stores, such as Aldi. “We’re all starting to tighten our belts,” she said.
- Amy Soeldner, an Atlanta Police Department retiree living in Savannah, is on a fixed income, and said she anticipated the increases early and tried to prepare.
- Soeldner said she now relies more on digital coupons, bulk buying and discount stores. She has also delayed purchases, including clothing and shoes, and seen her health insurance premiums rise by more than $100 per month.
- “It eats more and more into my retirement,” she said. […]
- U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter previously described the policy as a necessary tradeoff in an interview with Savannah’s WJCL-TV.
- “Yes, it’s going to cause some short-term pain, but it’s a long-term solution. It’s going to result in higher wages and more jobs for American workers,” Carter said in August 2025.
- Carter did not respond to recent requests by the Savannah Morning News for updated comment.
- Those interviewed for this story largely rejected the idea that the impacts have been short-term. “No, it’s not a short-term pain,” Soeldner said. “This is a year in.”
- Hovel echoed that sentiment, pointing to what she sees as growing financial strain among middle- and working-class households. She thinks the average citizen is now finding themselves closer to living paycheck to paycheck.
- While economists continue to debate the long-term effects of tariffs, the immediate reality for some in Savannah is straightforward: higher costs, tighter budgets and more cautious spending.