"Two top-ranking Democrats are blasting the Trump administration for playing favorites with tariffs by giving trade relief to the big companies whose CEOs are cozying up to the president. In a letter to the White House made public Wednesday morning, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., criticized the administration for relaxing some tariffs "through an opaque process that appears to favor the politically connected" and that "has opened the door to corruption and economic harm.""
"This blurring of the lines between business and government has led political commentators and business leaders across the political spectrum to warn that the United States is tipping into "crony capitalism." A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the administration has previously dismissed claims of crony capitalism and defended the tariffs."
Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Chris Van Hollen accuse the Trump administration of granting tariff exclusions preferentially to large companies with political connections. They say tariff relief has been granted through an opaque, closed-door exclusion process that lacks transparency and procedural fairness, disadvantaging small businesses and family farms. The senators warn that the process has opened the door to corruption and economic harm. Observers note gifts and donations to the president by friendly CEOs as examples of blurred lines between business and government. The White House has not immediately responded and has previously defended the tariffs and dismissed claims of cronyism.
Read at www.npr.org
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