Griffin calls the tariffs “painfully regressive tax”, hitting the most difficult working class

Billionaire Ken GriffinThe founder and general director of Citadel Hedge Fund said that the Americans of the working class would wear the burden of President Donald Trump’s penal tariffs on American trading partners.

“The most difficult tariffs went to the portfolio of hard -working Americans,” said Griffin about CNBC, “Closing the bell“Wednesday.” It’s like sales tax for the American nation. It will hit those who are the hardest to get to end. This is my big problem with tariffs. It’s such a painfully regressive tax. “

Last month, Trump developed shockingly high import fees, causing extreme swings on Wall Street. Later, the president announced a 90-day pause in most height, except for China, because the White House tried to conclude contracts with the main trading partners. This year, Trump hit a 145% tariff on imported Chinese goods, which prompted China to impose retaliation fees of 125%.

Griffin, whose hedge fund managed over $ 65 billion at the beginning of 2025, voted for Trump and was a megadonor for republican politicians. But he also criticized Trump’s commercial policy, saying he was risking corruption of the United States “brand” and his government bond market.

“The reason why American voters chose President Trump was the unsuccessful economic policy Joe Biden and the inflation shock, which reduced the real income of every American household,” said Griffin. “The president really has to focus on inflation management, because I think it is a front and center, the main results card that American voters will think about half of the elections.”

Wall Street Titan said that there is a “low” risk of staglation, because higher tariffs cause both inflation pressure and slow down the economy. He said that the trajectory of the economy largely depends on the development of Trump’s economic policy.

As the Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent said, Trump’s economic program adopts a three -part approach: trade, tax reductions and deregulation.

“The question is: have all three of them met to give us an increase that we need in our economy?” Giffin asked. “This is a real question that we will face in the next two years.”