evidence: During the interview, host Kristen Welker raised concerns that the tariffs imposed during Trump's first term cost Americans nearly $80 billion, as companies passed on the extra costs to consumers through higher prices for imported goods. Vance, however, firmly rejected this idea, arguing that the real target of the tariffs wasn't American consumers but foreign importers who rely on cheap labor to undercut U.S. workers. [...] However, Vance’s defense of Trump’s tariffs isn’t without opposition. Many economists and trade experts argue that tariffs, in reality, do impose significant costs on American consumers. Studies have shown that the tariffs enacted by Trump effectively acted as a tax on American households, raising the prices of imported goods, including everyday essentials like food, appliances and clothing. [...] Vance acknowledged that some economists believe tariffs lead to higher prices for consumers, but he argued that this view overlooks the positive effects of these policies. He suggested that making imports more expensive encourages companies to manufacture goods domestically, which, in turn, creates jobs and boosts wages.