Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused President Donald Trump of actions that would raise the price of coffee for Americans after he threatened tariffs on Colombia.
Tensions between the US and Colombia quickly escalated on Sunday before reaching a resolution after the country rejected two deportation planes carrying migrants from the US
In response, the 78-year-old president fired off a social media post calling for retaliatory measures, including 25 percent tariffs on all products coming from Colombia that would increase to 50 percent in one week.
The progressive New York Democrat responded to the clash with a warning that slapping tariffs on one of the largest importers of coffee to the US would hurt Americans' wallets.
To 'punish' Colombia, Trump is about to make every American pay even more for coffee. Remember: *We* pay the tariffs, not Colombia,” she wrote in a post about X.
“Trump is all about making inflation worse for working-class Americans, not better. He lines the pockets of himself and the billionaire class,” the team member continued.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned that Trump's threatened tariffs on Colombia would raise the price of coffee for Americans
Colombia is one of the US's closest allies in South America, and the time back and forth raised questions about the country's future relations if Trump achieved his top priority of deporting migrants in the US illegally.
Some Republican lawmakers praised the president's immediate pushback, which has been held up as a warning to other countries.
But other lawmakers and experts in the region wondered what it would mean for our influence there and Americans.
Coffee is one of the largest imports the US receives from the South American country, along with cut flowers. Among the top U.S. exports to Colombia are corn and soybeans.
After Trump promised to impose stiff tariffs and sanctions, Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatened 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on American goods in response.
President Trump and Colombian President Petro had a heated exchange after Colombia illegally rejected two military flights carrying migrants into the US on Sunday. Both countries threatened to impose steep tariffs that will spark a trade war before the White House announced that Colombia agreed to all of Trump's terms on the deportation flights
Colombia has a history of accepting migrant flights from the U.S., but Petro targeted the military flights and raised concerns about treating migrants with dignity during deportations.
In an angry post on Truth Social, Trump accused Colombia of endangering US national security and public safety by rejecting the two flights.
But by late Sunday evening the clash appeared to be resolved with the White House announcing that Colombia had accepted all of Trump's terms.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that under the agreement the tariffs and sanctions 'will be held in reserve. '
In its own response, Colombia said it would continue to accept deportees sent to the country under decent conditions.
The Colombian government also said that high-ranking officials would go to Washington this week to continue talks.
