He really can’t figure out what he’s doing, but I suspect somebody has spent the weekend in his ear, giving him the rundown on why tariffs are a terrible, no-good idea.
In his Monday morning tweeting, President Trump seems to be making adjustments to his nation-wrecking notion that tariffs are a good thing.
Weekend reports were that the announcement of the tariffs would come at the end of this week, and that not even allies would be spared.
Today, it’s conditional, depending on NAFTA.
We have large trade deficits with Mexico and Canada. NAFTA, which is under renegotiation right now, has been a bad deal for U.S.A. Massive relocation of companies & jobs. Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed. Also, Canada must..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2018
So is this just for Canada and Mexico?
…treat our farmers much better. Highly restrictive. Mexico must do much more on stopping drugs from pouring into the U.S. They have not done what needs to be done. Millions of people addicted and dying.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2018
If he’s set to make the announcement on tariffs at the end of this week, he can’t seriously expect Mexico to solve the drug problem in that time.
Unfortunately, the cartels own Mexico, so solving that problem is going to take more than a presidential tweet. It’s going to take communities in America taking a more focused, pro-active approach to addiction.
And I get wanting fair trade, but everything Trump does is retaliatory. It’s not thought out, or with any focus on actually doing better.
Smoot-Hawley was a 20 percent tariff and it was devastating to our economy.
George W. Bush implemented tariffs in 2002, much more narrow in scope, and for a brief period. He also did it in a fashion that put WTO limits on retaliation from other nations. The loss exceeded the economic gains.
Trump doesn’t learn, and neither do his supporters. This chest-thumping nationalism will end up costing us, if he pushes on with it.
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