Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is once again making waves with her comments, this time on President Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The spat began after Petro refused to accept two U.S. deportation flights over the weekend, prompting Trump to retaliate with a series of measures, including raising tariffs and revoking visas for Colombian officials.
In an attempt to defend the Colombian government, Ocasio-Cortez took to social media, warning that Trump’s retaliatory tariffs would ultimately hurt American consumers, particularly those who enjoy coffee. “To ‘punish’ Colombia, Trump is about to make every American pay even more for coffee,” the congresswoman tweeted. “Remember: WE pay the tariffs, not Colombia.”
Her comments quickly gained traction, with over 47,000 likes as of 8 p.m. Sunday, and she followed up by accusing Trump of making inflation worse for working-class Americans. “Trump is all about making inflation WORSE for working class Americans, not better,” she added. “He’s lining the pockets of himself and the billionaire class.”
While Ocasio-Cortez’s argument was cheered by her left-wing supporters and even caught the attention of Petro, who reposted her message on his own account, conservative critics quickly pounced on the inaccuracies in her statement.
First and foremost, the notion that American consumers are the sole victims of tariffs is misleading. While it’s true that consumers can feel the impact of tariffs in the form of higher prices, the reality is more complicated. The entities that import goods into the U.S. are the ones who pay the tariffs to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This means it’s ultimately the companies that import coffee, not Colombian farmers, who are responsible for the tariffs.
Furthermore, tariffs don’t always result in higher prices for consumers. In some cases, tariffs can actually lower global prices as suppliers—who are eager to retain access to the lucrative U.S. market—adjust their pricing strategies. For example, countries like Brazil and Vietnam, both of which produce more coffee than Colombia, could respond by offering more competitive pricing to U.S. importers, potentially mitigating the price increase that Ocasio-Cortez predicts.
But not everyone is buying into her argument. Conservative social media users quickly responded with a mix of criticism and humor. “World record. 35 minutes and the tweet already aged like hot milk,” wrote the popular account *Catturd*, referencing the fact that Petro immediately offered to transport Colombian migrants on his presidential plane, signaling his disregard for the U.S. demands.
Others took aim at her fundamental misunderstanding of global trade dynamics. “Who wants to tell her that there are other countries that export coffee, not just Colombia?” quipped California State Assemblyman Bill Essayli. Similarly, conservative commentator John Cardillo suggested that Colombia should simply “take their illegal aliens back,” adding, “Plenty of other nations grow coffee beans. We can buy the coffee from them.”
Some critics even went a step further, pointing out that Ocasio-Cortez’s stance on tariffs reveals a lack of understanding about how tariffs actually work. Activist Adam Lowisz argued, “Coffee from Colombia will increase in price, so we will purchase coffee from suppliers in other countries who do take back their illegals. Businesses will hesitate to invest in Colombia any further if they continue to be bad actors.”
In the end, Ocasio-Cortez’s attempts to defend Petro and criticize Trump’s tariff actions may have backfired, as she faces a growing backlash from conservatives who are eager to hold both the Colombian government and the Biden administration accountable for their failures. While the congresswoman’s tweet may have garnered likes from the far-left, it certainly didn’t convince those who understand the complexities of international trade and the stakes of holding countries like Colombia to account.
