In his 2024 campaign Donald Trump promised to reduce grocery prices and make the economy work better for American workers. Unfortunately, in his first three weeks his actions have been undermining these goals.

He is threatening 25% tariffs against our longtime friends, Canada and Mexico. American importers will pay tariffs initially. Then they will pass these added costs onto consumers. We will face higher prices for food, oil, lumber and other building materials, etc.

Trump calls this “a little pain,” but it will be major pain for those who live paycheck-to-paycheck.

Instead of paying attention to average Americans, Trump has undertaken an imperialist crusade to seize Greenland, Panama, Canada, and Gaza — something none of them want. There is plenty to fix in the USA. Building a new “Mideast Riviera” is ridiculous.

He handed over the keys to federal data banks to Elon Musk. Musk is now calling the shots because he spent $290 million on Trump’s presidential campaign. None of us voted for “President Musk,” who has enormous conflicts of interest due to his businesses’ dealings with the U.S. government.

Trump and Musk are eviscerating vital intelligence agencies, medical agencies that protect our health, the FBI, and more. Eliminating the Agency for International Development will put an estimated 52,000 American private sector workers out of jobs — they are the ones producing the food and medicine we donate abroad.

It is time for Trump and Musk to focus on the needs of ordinary Americans.

Anne Williams, Auburn