Trump's Effective Truth Of Tariffs

"Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." ~ Unknown

"As one person said to me , Republicans know [Donald] Trump is a stain on their party." ~ Mara Liasson

"We must confront the reality that his [Donald Trump] comments have provoked, and consider whether we want to import such hatred to this country." ~ Tulip Siddiq

Trump’s tariffs are framed as a protection of American manufacturing industries and jobs, but they are also used as a bargaining tool.

While the tariffs are not good for the economy, this matters less than the perception that Trump is a strong negotiator standing up for American interests. Economists consistently criticize the validity of such tariffs, and many now claim that Trump and his advisors are using LLMs such as ChatGPT to generate a bogus mathematical formula to justify imposing tariffs on all nations. Economists around the world argue that the formula the Trump administration uses for their tariffs wouldn’t pass even an undergraduate economics class.

Although economists and international trade experts criticize Trump’s so-called magic tariff equation, his followers embrace it as “true” because it supports his America First policy.

The tariffs deliver short-term, tangible outcomes that strengthen Trump’s image as a disruptor.

Trump repeatedly insists that tariffs will usher in a golden age for America, where global manufacturing returns to American shores, even if it costs businesses and consumers more. His voters and Republican members of Congress believe this, as it fits neatly into his broader populist narrative.

By continually imposing tariffs, Trump pushes the idea that a golden age is just around the corner. In this political environment, narrative outweighs empirical truth. Trump’s base, including members of Congress, increasingly treats him like an authoritarian leader.