DJT has told us (and you believe him) that the trade deficit is bad and is evidence that the rest of the world has taken advantage of our good will and has abused us without mercy. He has told us (and you believe him) that the best way to resolve the abuse is to fight fire with fire by slapping exorbitant tariffs on our imports. He has told us (and you believe him) that the tariffs will simultaneously bring so much extra lucre into the US treasury we can eliminate the income tax, while reducing imports to such a low level that American manufacturing jobs will receive a resurgence of such proportions that we will have abundance like we’ve never seen before. Finally he has said (and you believe him) his real purpose is to use his tariffs as a threat to get the rest of the world to negotiate reciprocal tariffs so that we are no longer taken advantage of.
Let’s assume he wins his tariff battles, the world buckles under his masterful negotiating and agrees unanimously to have reciprocal tariffs. Another MAGA win! Question: what will it mean if the trade deficit continues unabated, tariffs are reciprocal but the trade deficit stubbornly remains. In your minds would that tell you the unequal tariff situation under which we currently live was never the cause of the trade deficit in the first place?
Let’s assume he wins his tariff battles, the world buckles under his masterful negotiating and agrees unanimously to have reciprocal tariffs. Another MAGA win! Question: what will it mean if the trade deficit continues unabated, tariffs are reciprocal but the trade deficit stubbornly remains. In your minds would that tell you the unequal tariff situation under which we currently live was never the cause of the trade deficit in the first place?
