2/14/25: Strada Claimed The Country Was “Feeling Really Good” Due To Trump’s Economic Policies And That The Administration Was Doing “A Lot Of Great Things” For The Economy. According to Joe Strada on Florida’s Voice with Drew Steele, “HOST: And on the other side, before we get going, one of the things I would ask you too is, as far as business is concerned, as far as you're doing and the business, as you start to see a lot of these orders come through, as you hear the president, you see what the vice president is doing, all of this, it has to create for a business owner a climate that, as I just described a few minutes ago and how people feel like for the first time in 20 years that the country is going in the right direction, like people feel confident, that has to help you as someone who is a business owner, as far as what you want to do moving forward as well. STRADA: Absolutely. I mean, the country is feeling really good. The anchor is up. That was the last four years. So, we feel like the anchor’s no longer in the water and now we're starting to move forward. There's a lot of great things that the president and his entire administration is doing. And we definitely have momentum now on our side. And as a business owner, I'm feeling much better today with where we're at than what I did the last four years. The last four years I was very worried, we were watching election day, that was a big deal. And now I think the proof is happening, everything that’s going on.” [Joe Strada, Florida’s Voice with Drew Steele, 2/14/25] (video)
Strada: “I Want To Stand Right Next With President Trump.” According to Joe Strada on Florida’s Voice with Drew Steele, “STRADA: He had a really good life before he was president. And he just, he loves our country so much, he knows it's broken. I want to stand right next with President Trump, I want to fight for the agenda. The American people want it. We voted for it. Overwhelming he won, every swing state, popular vote, the American people spoke. I want to be standing right there with President Trump and fight for Americans, everyday Americans, small business owners.” [Joe Strada, Forida’s Voice with Drew Steele, 6/25/26] (video)
October 2025: Employers Cut 153,000 Jobs In A Series Of “Mega-Layoffs.” According to The Washington Post, “’We’re entering new territory with these layoffs in October,’ said John Challenger, CEO of the consulting firm that tracks job losses. ‘We haven’t seen mega-layoffs of the size that are being discussed now — 48,000 from UPS, potentially 30,000 from Amazon — since 2020 and before that, since the recession of 2009. When you see companies making cuts of this size, it does signal a real shift in direction.’ (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Recent layoffs, the data shows, have been concentrated in technology, retail, service and warehousing jobs. Employers announced more than 153,000 job cuts last month, a 183 percent increase from the month before, marking the worst October for layoffs since 2003, the Challenger report said.” [Washington Post, 11/6/25]
Tax Foundation Found Trump’s Tariffs Amounted To A $1,000 Tax Increase On Americans In 2025 And Was Projected To Be A $1,300 Tax Increase On Americans In 2026. According to the Tax Foundation, "President Trump has imposed International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on US trading partners, including China, Canada, Mexico, and the EU. In addition, he has threatened and imposed Section 232 tariffs on autos, heavy trucks, steel, aluminum, lumber, furniture, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and copper, among others. The Trump tariffs amount to an average tax increase per US household of $1,000 in 2025 and $1,300 in 2026." [Tax Foundation, 2/6/26]
2025: Trump’s Tariffs Caused Florida To Shoulder Nearly $12 Billion In Tariff-Related Costs. According to Axios, “Florida has shouldered nearly $12 billion in tariff costs from President Trump's trade actions since the start of 2025, the eighth-highest state. Why it matters: Tariffs can raise prices at the register as businesses shift added costs to consumers. By the numbers: The state's estimated tariff tab amounts to about $1,279 per household, according to National Taxpayers Union Foundation data. Nationwide, states and territories have absorbed an estimated $342 billion in tariffs. California has the largest tab at $62.8 billion, while neighboring Michigan's $23.2 billion amounts to an estimated $5,619 per household — the highest in the nation.” [Axios, 9/1/26]
Trump’s Tariffs Forced Central Florida’s Automotive Companies To Cut Costs And Push Plans Down The Road Due To Increasing Costs And Economic Uncertainty.
According to WESH, “While President Donald Trump’s tariffs have the auto industry reeling from an overall $11 billion in losses in the first quarter that ended in June, the latest round that began Thursday could not only hurt the industry, but also local cities and counties. American auto makers alone lost $2.5 billion in the first quarter, since some of their models are made outside the U.S. or use imported parts. And ‘American-made’ is the preference of local governments. Altamonte Springs maintains its fleet of vehicles at a garage off Douglas Avenue. It’ll be a busy place for the foreseeable future since the city decided to hold off on replacing vehicles for the next year. ‘What I have done is taken a conservative fiscal approach,’ said Frank Martz, the city manager. He says certain vehicles may have to be purchased on an as-needed basis, but otherwise, the city order on everything from police vehicles, to public works, and all other non-public safety vehicles, is to keep them on the road, and if they break, fix them, adding, ‘We've removed things that we would normally replace like vehicles and pushed them off so it's a kick the can down the road for sure. And next year, hopefully, the cost of vehicles will be cheaper.’” [WESH, 8/8/25]