During a Sunday interview on Fox News, Sen. Tommy Tuberville praised President Trump’s decision on tariffs, noting the move will help protect Alabama’s catfish and shrimp industry.
He cited the hardships the domestic producers are facing due to imports, particularly from Vietnam.
“You know, we’re going to have some short-term pain for long-term gain,” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said. “There are a lot of people who are a little skeptical, but we have to change course. We cannot continue to do the same thing. It’s like playing football. If you keep running the ball up the middle and you’re not getting any traction, you’ve got to start throwing the ball. That’s what President Trump’s doing. He’s a businessman. He’s the first president that’s really stood up and said, ‘enough. Enough of other countries ripping us off.’”
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He also spoke specifically about the seafood producers and the auto industry in Alabama.
“Just in Alabama, catfish farmers are going under because Vietnam is dumping billions of trash catfish and shrimp into our state,” Tuberville said. “We are in huge trouble, and we have to change course. We have five car manufacturers in our state, and they’re really not concerned because it’s going to help them sell more cars in this country.
“Eventually, these cars will go out of the country and will be bought by Europe, which buys hardly any of our cars currently.”
.@SenTuberville: @POTUS “is the first president that’s really stood up and said, ‘Enough of other countries ripping us off.’ In my state of Alabama, catfish farmers are going under because Vietnam is dumping billions of trash catfish and shrimp into our state.” pic.twitter.com/ABdJratVVe
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2025
In a separate statement last week, Tuberville said the tariffs put in place by Trump are already working and bringing countries to the table to negotiate new terms of trade.
“President Trump is 100% committed folks – 100%,” he said. “He’s gonna do whatever it takes to usher in a Golden Age for the American economy. And by the way, just the threat of President Trump’s tariffs has already led India, Vietnam, and Israel to proactively drop significantly and lower tariffs against the United States before it’s really even started. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or Democrat, we should all be united in wanting economic policies that put American farmers, producers, businesses, and manufacturers first.”
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten