In April 2025 Ken Paxton said: "I fully support President Trump's bold action," and later that month praised the president for "making the significant attempt" to change trade. New York Fed economists found that nearly 90 percent of the tariffs' economic burden fell on U.S. firms and consumers, and in February 2026 the Supreme Court ruled that the emergency law behind most of them does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.
In Texas, executive tariffs cost an estimated $37 billion from January 2025, the second-highest bill of any state.
Ken Paxton's Statements on the 2025 Tariffs
- Paxton Said He Fully Supported Trump's Tariffs in April 2025. In a statement the Houston Chronicle published on April 10, 2025, Ken Paxton said: "I fully support President Trump's bold action to ensure that we are respected again on the global stage, and because of these tariffs, more and more countries are coming to the table to negotiate." New York Fed economists found that nearly 90 percent of the tariffs' economic burden fell on U.S. firms and consumers in 2025, and in a February 2026 Economist/YouGov poll, 71% of Americans say Trump's tariffs increased the prices they pay for things.
- Paxton Praised Trump's Tariff Push as an Effort to "Even the Playing Field" in April 2025. On The Truth with Lisa Boothe on April 24, 2025, Ken Paxton said of the president's tariffs: "I think he's trying to even the playing field," and "I applaud him for making the significant attempt to do that," according to American Bridge's transcript of the audio. After China answered the tariffs with its own duties, U.S. sorghum shipments to China fell more than 95% in the first half of 2025, and for farmers across Texas and the Southern Plains, the result has been a fragile Gulf basis, Southern Ag Today reported.
- Paxton Promised to Lower Texans' Cost of Living After Backing Tariffs That Raised Prices. On May 26, 2026, Ken Paxton told supporters: "I'm running to lower your cost of living, because you deserve to be able to buy a home, afford groceries, and have a high quality of healthcare." In the Dallas Fed's August 2025 survey of the tariffs' effects, 27 percent of Texas firms reported increased selling prices.
What the Tariffs Ken Paxton Backed Cost Texas
- Tariff bill. Executive tariffs have cost Texas an estimated $37 billion since January 2025, second-highest among the states, equivalent to $3,269 per Texas household, by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation's estimate; cars and trucks were the hardest-hit imports. The total includes the emergency tariffs the Supreme Court struck down.
- Business costs. Nearly half of firms reported increased input costs as a result of higher tariffs in the Dallas Fed's August 2025 Texas business surveys.
- Refunds. Refunds of the $166 billion collected under the tariffs the Supreme Court struck down go to the importers that paid them, and only importers that have sued will get full refunds.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Paxton on Tariffs and Prices
What is Ken Paxton's record on tariffs under Trump?
Ken Paxton said in April 2025 that he fully supports President Trump's tariffs and praised the president's attempt to "even the playing field" on trade. Most of those tariffs' cost fell on U.S. firms and consumers, and the Supreme Court struck down the emergency tariffs in February 2026, with refunds going to the importers that paid the duties.
Were the tariffs Ken Paxton supported legal?
Not the emergency tariffs: the April 2025 tariffs Ken Paxton praised were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and on February 20, 2026 the Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. Tariffs imposed under other trade laws remain in force.
Do Texans get refunds for the tariffs Ken Paxton backed?
Not directly: Ken Paxton backed tariffs whose refunds, after the Supreme Court ruling, go to the importers that paid the duties, and a trade-court order confirmed that only importers that have sued will get full IEEPA tariff refunds.
Last updated: 2026-10-25