Trump backed down on tariffs — for now | Opinion
Regarding Paige Masten’s Opinion piece on being grateful that Trump backed down on tariffs over Greenland, he simply backed down on January 21. Who knows what he will say or do on January 22 or 23, or any day. Trusting anything Trump says on any given day is like trusting that what pops up on a slot machine this time will be the same the next time you pull the lever. And we all lose.
Stacie Hagwood, Garner
Republicans and voting
Columnist Andrew Dunn claims that recent voting changes are not all Republican conspiracies. So, only some are conspiracies and we are supposed to applaud? Stopping Sunday voting and closing polling places on or near college campuses are only the most blatant efforts to reduce Democratic votes.
Other voting restrictions may well be due to “non-conspiratorial” practical matters such as funding, but the proper response to that would be more funding. The funding would have to come from the GOP-controlled legislature, and Republicans have made it very clear that they are not interested in a state government that represents the will of all legitimate voters. Between gerrymandering and voting restrictions, the GOP’s very heavy thumb has been on the scales as long as I can remember.
Peter Aitken, Chapel Hill
Who are you serving?
This fall, NC lawmakers failed to fully fund Medicaid. Now, cuts at the federal level to programs that provide healthcare, food assistance, and housing (as well as disaster response) will need to be made up for by state level revenue. However, our state lawmakers are reducing revenue through tax cuts that mostly benefit corporations and the wealthiest among us.
NC Senate Republicans, especially Senate President Pro Tem Berger, should prioritize cost-of-living issues that impact family budgets and quality of life over reducing our state revenue by cutting taxes on corporations and the very wealthy. The everyday people of this state put you in office so you can serve the public, but we now ask, “Who are you serving?”
Rebecca Custar, Fletcher
Trump and the Kennedy Center
Like most authoritarian rulers, Trump continues to put his name on everything that might enhance his stature. He hijacked the Kennedy Center, fired everyone on the board of directors, and appointed himself the host for the Kennedy Center Honors. He and his wife are not known for patronizing the arts, and they did not attend the Kennedy Center honors during his time in office. Now he wants to rename the Kennedy Center and share honors with one of our most beloved presidents.
Congress needs to call a halt to this madness before he erects other monuments to his inflated ego.
Thomas K. Spence, Jr., Sanford
Tillis and Trump
Thom Tillis is acting Senatorial now that he’s approaching the end of his Senate career. He’s one of the few Republicans who realize the president’s foreign policy and domestic Treasury aspirations are folly. Perfect example of why term limits for Congress should be considered.
Phil Solomon, Marvin
Nigerian persecution
The Nigerian people have faced years of persecution without much help from the outside world. I am so grateful to our president, who cares about not only American citizens but protecting innocent lives lost across the world. Why is there no outrage from the UN that was established for this reason to protect people from dangerous threats and loss of life. There is a deafening silence from the outside world that is very disheartening.
Carol Annino, Huntersville
The Tax King
Trump has announced himself to be “The Tariff King.” As everyone knows except Trump, tariffs are taxes paid by Americans. And they bring about reciprocal tariffs on our agricultural sector that shuts down its foreign markets. So, let’s simplify the new title to read “The Tax King” and see if that explains tariffs to where even Trump can understand them.
Wayne McGee, Cornelius
This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 5:02 AM with the headline "Trump backed down on tariffs — for now | Opinion."