The Crane Pool Forum

What I don’t understand is why he’s pushing tariffs. The idea is universally panned. Doesn’t seem to benefit anyone. Why is he so hooked on this idea?

Kinda seems like he needed something to say on the campaign trail but may never see the light of day.

It was a nice simple sloganistic buzz word that sounded good to his followers, most of whom couldn't tell you what letter the word tariff starts with.
Later

First of all, nice work on the thread title.

On to the main question: from the very beginning, Trump's political philosophy, to the extent that he has one, is that foreign people and foreign goods coming into this country are bad for this country even as free-trade reducing tariffs are generally even less popular among those on the political right, particularly those on the 'economic right'.

Somewhere here there's a recent clip of Trump going off on a tangent during an interview only to be told, 'Uh, Mr. Trump, the question was about [something entirely different]'. It was a funny clip but the talk itself was with someone, I think from the WSJ, and they eventually got onto the tariffs/trade topic with the guy countering about how high tariffs would raise prices and kill jobs, etc. and Trump lashing out to him, 'No, you're wrong! You've been wrong about this for 25 years." He did the same to anyone on his first term staff who suggested otherwise, 'You're wrong, you're stupid'

It's the one thing he truly believes in. The rest is all window dressing.



* found the clip (page 14 of '2024 Presidential Election Take II' thread): the interview was with Bloomberg News, not WSJ, and the question was 'Should Google be broken up?' and Trump answered about people (possibly) being taken off voter registration in Virginia. But it was later in that same interview when DJT got his back up with the journo over the suggestion that tariffs could have a negative economic effect.
In short he just simply doesn't entertain the possibility. His mind is made up and he's going to latch onto anyone who agrees with him while dismissing those who say otherwise.

I've read a lot of condescending shit from self-described conservatives about how taxing the rich is stupid, because that means the price of goods will rise.

Little acknowledgement ever comes from the response that, if so, then import tariffs would have the same effect.

The notion that we have to pay for the government somehow is lost either way.

But yes, the very primal feeling of delight in believing you have a tough guy beating up on foreigners for you is pretty intrinsic and something that's marketable.

Whenever you want to ask, How is this working? I encourage you to remember the power dynamics of a fourth-grade class on the playground at intermission.