Big Take Podcast Episode Summary Podcast: Big Take (Bloomberg & iHeartPodcasts)
Episode: They Voted for Trump. His Tariffs Took Down Their Family-Owned Sawmill
Date: November 14, 2025

Main Theme

This episode explores how President Donald Trump’s tariffs, initiated as part of his trade war with China, led to the closure of Mackey's Ferry—a generations-old, family-run sawmill in rural North Carolina. The episode provides an intimate look at the economic and emotional fallout for the Jones family and their community, and it delves into the complex unintended consequences of trade policy in rural America, particularly for those who originally supported Trump at the ballot box.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Jones Family & Their Mills (00:29 - 02:22)

• Background: The Jones family has been in the lumber business since 1882; today, brothers Wilson and Stephen Jones each run a mill—JW Jones and Mackey’s Ferry.
• Contrast in Atmosphere: JW Jones remains loud and bustling, while Mackey’s Ferry, now closed, is silent—an unsettling sign for lifelong lumbermen.
  • Quote:

  "To hear nature at a sawmill...is as unnerving as watching a loved one take their final breath."
  — Wilson Jones (01:51)

2. Tariffs and Their Immediate Impact (02:22 - 04:59)

• Closure Catalyst: The mill closed on July 1, directly attributing the shutdown to “Liberation Day” tariffs enacted by Trump, which Wilson notes with bitter sarcasm.
  • Quote:

  “At the time, it had damn near liberated me from our business—and in essence it has. I’m bitter about that.”
  — Wilson Jones (02:55)

• Impact: They mothballed the plant, laying off all 50 workers, essentially erasing a third of the family's overall revenue.

3. The Bigger Picture in Rural America (03:44 - 04:14)

• The Joneses’ story is representative of broader challenges in rural America, where tariffs and supply chain shocks contribute to plant shutdowns and job losses:
  • Trump’s trade war led not to a manufacturing renaissance, but to the loss of 42,000 manufacturing jobs between April and August.

4. Multigenerational Family Business & Changing Industry (05:28 - 07:56)

• Family Legacy: Rich anecdotes illustrate the deep roots and personal stakes in the lumber business for the Joneses.
• Industry Changes: Market demand shifted as the US furniture industry went overseas and consumers now prefer inexpensive, manufactured wood products.
  • Quote:

  “I don’t have a problem with changing consumer tastes...I have a problem with the government policy making us obsolete.”
  — Wilson Jones (07:17)

5. Coping with Tariffs: First vs. Second Rounds (08:33 - 09:38)

• Adaptation: Joneses survived the initial 2018 tariffs by sharing added costs with customers.
  • Quote:

  “We bore half of it, and then our customer, they bore half of it. And that was kind of an industry-wide thing.”
  — Wilson Jones (09:25)

• Escalation: The second round (Trump’s second term) raised tariffs further (as high as 145% on lumber), leading to an unsustainable business environment.

6. The Breaking Point and Aftermath (10:11 - 11:18)

• Final Blow: Retaliatory tariffs from China, material shortages, and inability to modernize the mill were contributing factors, but reciprocal tariffs on US hardwoods (up to 125%) proved catastrophic.
• Lost Shipments: Shipments in transit suddenly became money-losers due to sudden tariff imposition.
• Hypothetical Message for Trump:
  • Quote:

  “You’re on a fool’s mission and you’re not helping out a few, you’re hurting a lot. If you put all these little communities together...it’s having the same effect...from the guy that’s just stacking lumber to the guy that’s sawing.”
  — Wilson Jones (11:18)

7. Reflections on Voting for Trump (12:00 - 12:56, 17:25 - 18:18)

• Both brothers admit to voting for Trump, but with deep ambivalence—feeling there was no real alternative.
  • Quote:

  “I literally was in the voting booth and I wrapped my knuckles and the Trump one hurt more…It was so disgusting. And I hate to say that, but that’s literally how I made that choice.”
  — Wilson Jones (12:21)

• Regret: Wilson expresses regret about Trump’s trade policy, but still feels there was no better option.
  • Quote:

  “There are some things I regret about voting for President Trump, yes, 100%. Trade policy is one of them. Even though I wish he could have moderated his tone...I wish it hadn’t turned out that way.”
  — Wilson Jones (17:25)

• Stephen holds less regret, resigned to the notion that the outcome was inevitable with current policy options.

8. Bailouts, Rural Policy, and Local Consequences (13:47 - 16:16)

• The Joneses note that government bailouts favored agriculture/soybeans but ignored lumber.
  • Quote:

  “They don’t want a bailout…They want access to their market, and that door has been shut.”
  — Wilson Jones (14:30)

• Community Impact: Kelly Chessant, local official, explains that the closure is a major blow, with 50 jobs lost in a county that still hasn’t recovered from prior mill closures.
  • Quote:

  “People want stability. And then when you have major companies like Mackey's...closed, what does that say to the business viability here in Washington County?...All of these rural and small communities are facing some of these same things.”
  — Kelly Chessant (15:45)

9. Legal and Economic Outlook (16:16 - 16:28)

• The Supreme Court is considering the legality of the tariffs; lower courts ruled against them, but for local businesses like Mackey’s Ferry, restitution may come too late.

10. Personal Fallout and Resilience (18:53 - 20:28)

• Only 10 out of 50 workers relocated to JW Jones; the rest are left jobless.
• Wilson tries to stay resilient, focusing on moving forward:
  • Quote:

  “...Quit feeling sorry for yourself.”
  — Wilson Jones (20:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On closure’s emotional toll:
  “In the old days you would hear the chipper, air compressors going...Now you come in and you’d hear all that...And now it’s kind of depressing because you can get out of your car and shut the door and then you hear the wind blow.” — Wilson Jones (04:28)
• On personal responsibility vs. policy:
  "...Instead of me telling them, take a step forward...just say, okay, look, you know how to do your job, and walk away. Letting them do their thing. Yeah, let them do their thing." — Wilson Jones (19:37)
• On the true cost of trade wars:
  "Economics is data. It's aggregate data. And we often lose sight of the fact that economics is people. An economy is its people. It's not its economists." — Sean Donnan (20:11)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:29 - 02:22: Setting & Introduction to the Jones family mills
• 02:22 - 04:59: The role of tariffs in the mill shutdown
• 05:28 - 07:56: History and legacy of the Jones' sawmills
• 08:33 - 09:38: How the family initially weathered the first round of tariffs
• 09:58 - 10:51: Escalation and final breaking point
• 11:11 - 12:56: The emotional response to Trump’s policies and their own voting choices
• 13:47 - 14:57: Bailouts, market access, and rural policy gaps
• 15:02 - 16:16: Kelly Chessant on economic and community impact
• 16:16 - 16:28: Courts and the legal status of tariffs
• 18:53 - 20:28: Closing scenes, personal fallout, and perseverance

Overall Tone

The episode is poignant, personal, and tinged with bitterness, regret, and resignation. The Jones brothers are candid and direct; the reporting is empathetic but clear-eyed, using the story of one family to illuminate broader consequences for small-town, rural America—and the voters most affected by high-level trade decisions.