Top House Democrat Jamie Raskin on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of using tariffs as a 'tool for grift and self-enrichment,' demanding records on tariff exemptions he says were granted to industries whose leaders donated or gave gifts to Trump.
Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Trump obtained first by CNBC. In it, he highlighted tariff carve-outs for Brazilian meat, diamonds, and smartphones that he said 'make little to no sense' under the administration's stated criteria, but do make sense 'when factoring in the now world famous Trump Tariff Discount.'
Raskin noted that Brazilian meat processor JBS's US subsidiary made a $5 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund, and that the Antwerp World Diamond Centre gave Trump a diamond-studded gold ring. He also pointed to Apple's donations and executive chairman Tim Cook's gifts to Trump as coinciding with smartphone exemptions.
The letter seeks communications between the White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding tariff relief for over a dozen industries, and communications involving private-sector representatives including Cook and Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour. Raskin set a November 11 deadline for the records.
Raskin also linked the tariff policy to affordability concerns, citing a Tax Foundation estimate that the latest round of tariffs will cost an average of $820 per US household this year.
The Trump administration has said the Section 301 tariffs, imposed in July and covering nearly all imports from more than 80 countries, are aimed at cracking down on forced labor abroad. The USTR says it only grants exemptions where additional duties would not help reduce forced-labor practices.
Raskin questioned the sincerity of that aim, pointing to Trump's decision to lift forced-labor-related restrictions on a Dominican sugar producer whose owner hosted a $50 million fundraiser for Trump.
The White House and USTR did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The allegations tie together two top voter concerns: corruption and high costs, potentially influencing the upcoming midterm elections.
- If proven, the use of tariffs for personal benefit would represent a serious abuse of executive power and trade policy.
- The demand for records sets up a potential oversight conflict between Congress and the White House.
Background
In July 2026, the Trump administration imposed sweeping tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, covering imports from over 80 countries. The administration said the duties target forced-labor practices. Critics, including plaintiffs in a lawsuit, argue the tariffs effectively replace earlier 'liberation day' duties struck down by the Supreme Court in February. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has now requested records he says may show the exemptions were granted in exchange for political favors.
Key Perspectives
Rep. Jamie Raskin: alleges Trump is using tariffs as a 'tool for grift and self-enrichment,' granting exemptions to industries whose leaders have donated or given gifts, while costing American households hundreds of dollars each.
Trump administration: says the Section 301 tariffs are meant to crack down on forced-labor practices, and that exemptions are only granted where they would not undermine that goal. The White House and USTR have not commented on the specific allegations.
What to Watch
- Whether the White House complies with the November 11 deadline for records.
- The outcome of the midterm elections; a Democratic majority in either chamber would give Raskin's party subpoena power.
- Potential legal challenges to the tariff exemptions or to the underlying Section 301 tariffs.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedRaskin accused Trump of using tariffs as a “tool for grift” and demanded donor records.Tech: “Trump is using tariffs as a 'tool for grift,' Raskin says in demand for donor records.”
- SupportedRaskin cited suspicious exemptions for Brazilian beef, diamonds and smartphones.Tech: “Raskin homed in on the far-reaching tariffs the U.S. imposed in July using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.”
- SupportedThe letter requests communications between the White House and USTR about tariff relief for more than a dozen industries, as well as communications with private-sector representatives including Tim Cook and Jean-Frederic Dufour.Tech: “The letter asks Trump to hand over multiple categories of records spanning his second term, including communications between the White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, or USTR, related to any form of tariff relief for more than a dozen industries. It makes a similar request for communications involving private-sector representatives, including Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour.”
- SupportedRaskin said the three carve-outs make little to no sense under the administration’s criteria but make sense when factoring in the “Trump Tariff Discount.”Tech: “Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and the former top Democrat on the House oversight committee, highlighted three such tariff carve-outs — for Brazilian meat , diamonds and smartphones — that he says "make little to no sense" under the criteria set by the Trump administration. "They do, however, make sense when factoring in the now world famous Trump Tariff Discount," Raskin wrote”
- SupportedJBS’s U.S. subsidiary made a $5 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund.Tech: “"Coincidentally, JBS's U.S. subsidiary, Pilgrim's Pride, made a $5 million donation to your 2024 inaugural fund, the largest donation of any single company!" Raskin wrote.”
- SupportedThe Antwerp World Diamond Centre gave Trump a diamond-studded gold ring.Tech: “Raskin suggested the exemption was the result of Belgium's Antwerp World Diamond Centre gifting Trump an opulent gold ring — studded with 321 natural diamonds and 75 other gemstones — in June.”
- Partly supportedRaskin pointed to Apple donations and Tim Cook’s gifts as coinciding with smartphone exemptions.Tech: “He also wrote that USTR exempted Chinese smartphones from the Section 301 tariffs, even though "abusive working conditions are a hallmark of smartphone manufacturing, including the Apple iPhone." He listed multiple examples of Cook's flattery toward Trump”
- SupportedRaskin set November 11 as the deadline for the records.Tech: “Raskin asked for those records by Nov. 11.”
- SupportedRaskin cited an estimate that the latest tariffs will cost an average of $820 per U.S. household this year.Tech: “"Independent analysts expect that your latest round of tariffs will cost an average of $820 per U.S. household this year," he wrote, citing data from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.”
- SupportedThe Section 301 tariffs were imposed in July, cover nearly all U.S. imports from more than 80 countries, and are intended to crack down on foreign forced-labor practices.Tech: “The Trump administration says those duties, which apply to more than 80 countries and cover nearly all U.S. imports, are meant to crack down on foreign forced-labor practices.”
- Partly supportedThe USTR grants exemptions only where additional duties would not help reduce forced-labor practices.Tech: “The USTR only offers exemptions to the Section 301 tariffs in certain cases, including where additional duties would not help reduce forced-labor practices.”
- Partly supportedThe owner of the Dominican sugar producer hosted a $50 million fundraiser for Trump.Tech: “Central Romana's owner, José Francisco "Pepe" Fanjul, reportedly hosted a $50 million fundraiser for Trump in 2024”