A top House Democrat on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of using tariffs as a "tool for grift and self-enrichment," pointing to what he says are suspicious import-tax exemptions for industries whose leaders have curried Trump's favor with gifts and donations .
"You took care to cut lots of sweetheart deals with corporations and industries that won carve-outs from your tariffs when you saw you could get something good in return," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., told Trump in a fiery letter obtained first by CNBC.
Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and the former top Democrat on the House oversight committee, highlighted three such tariff carve-outs — for Brazilian meat , diamonds and smartphones — that he says "make little to no sense" under the criteria set by the Trump administration.
"They do, however, make sense when factoring in the now world famous Trump Tariff Discount," Raskin wrote, coining a term to describe the president's alleged willingness to cut breaks for his allies and benefactors "when the price is right."
The letter asks Trump to hand over multiple categories of records spanning his second term, including communications between the White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, or USTR, related to any form of tariff relief for more than a dozen industries.
It makes a similar request for communications involving private-sector representatives, including Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour. Raskin asked for those records by Nov. 11.
Raskin's pugnacious letter directly accuses Trump of "profound corruption," asserting that his heavy-handed use of tariffs is really about clinching "levers of power that you could maliciously pull to extract exciting concessions for yourself."
The missive — which cites the Judiciary Committee's "jurisdiction over corruption, conflicts of interest, and effective enforcement of criminal and civil laws" — could offer a preview of how Democrats will flex their oversight powers against Trump should they win majority control of the House or Senate in the midterm election .
Raskin also drew a link between Trump's alleged misuse of tariffs and Americans' affordability concerns, connecting two of voters' top concerns in the final stretch of the election cycle.
"While you have protected your personal investments and crocodile skin connoisseurs from the giant bite of your tariffs, the American people are suffering. Independent analysts expect that your latest round of tariffs will cost an average of $820 per U.S. household this year," he wrote, citing data from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
The most recent CNBC All-America Economic Survey found voters are most concerned about government corruption, followed by high grocery and gas prices. Democratic candidates have deliberately tailored their campaign messaging to make connections between corruption and high costs.
The White House and the USTR did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment on Raskin's letter.
Raskin homed in on the far-reaching tariffs the U.S. imposed in July using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
The Trump administration says those duties, which apply to more than 80 countries and cover nearly all U.S. imports, are meant to crack down on foreign forced-labor practices. But Raskin and other critics, including plaintiffs in a major lawsuit challenging the tariffs, argue they are actually intended to replace the sweeping "liberation day" duties the Supreme Court struck down in February.
"One could be forgiven for doubting the sincerity of your Administration's sudden concern for the victims of forced labor," Raskin wrote.
He pointed to Trump's decision last year to lift forced-labor-related restrictions on Dominican sugar producer Central Romana, despite allegations that the company's abusive practices persisted.
Central Romana's owner, José Francisco "Pepe" Fanjul, reportedly hosted a $50 million fundraiser for Trump in 2024, and his family corporation that year donated $1 million to a pro-Trump PAC. He has also been listed as a donor to Trump's White House ballroom project.
The USTR only offers exemptions to the Section 301 tariffs in certain cases, including where additional duties would not help reduce forced-labor practices. But the trade office's exemption list "contains conspicuous —and suspicious — carve-outs for a few industries," Raskin wrote.
Raskin referenced tariff exemptions for beef and bovine products, which took effect despite opposition from U.S. cattle producers who strongly opposed the move, citing "the well-documented use of forced labor in the Brazilian cattle sector and the documented surge of Brazilian beef."
In late August, Trump reportedly met in the Oval Office with Brazilian billionaire Joesley Batista, co-owner of JBS , the world's largest meat processor. The next day, Trump announced the U.S. would allow the import of up to 300,000 metric tons of "product for ground beef" below market prices.
"Coincidentally, JBS's U.S. subsidiary, Pilgrim's Pride, made a $5 million donation to your 2024 inaugural fund, the largest donation of any single company!" Raskin wrote.
Diamond jewelry is also exempt from the Section 301 tariffs, which Raskin called "laughably indefensible" because the precious stones are identified by the U.S. Labor Department as a good produced using forced or child labor.
Raskin suggested the exemption was the result of Belgium's Antwerp World Diamond Centre gifting Trump an opulent gold ring — studded with 321 natural diamonds and 75 other gemstones — in June. The company's press release about the ring said it was given to Trump as a symbol of "the historic trade relationship between Antwerp and the United States" and in honor of the 250th birthday of the U.S.
"A diamond is truly the President's best friend!" Raskin quipped in his letter.
He also wrote that USTR exempted Chinese smartphones from the Section 301 tariffs, even though "abusive working conditions are a hallmark of smartphone manufacturing, including the Apple iPhone."
He listed multiple examples of Cook's flattery toward Trump, including reportedly donating $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee in 2025 and gifting Trump a gold plaque in the Oval Office. Raskin also noted Apple's donation of $25 million to Trump's White House ballroom project, a tie for the largest contribution.
"The exemptions above only scratch the surface of your profound corruption," Raskin wrote.
