Trump’s tariff nonsense is getting beyond ridiculous. 
Will You Suffer Higher Prices for Trump?
That’s Senator Markwayne Mullin told CNN
Senator Markwayne Mullin told CNN that “of course” he’s worried tariffs could impact his state of Oklahoma but argued that his constituents are willing to “do what it takes” to support the president’s policy.
Representative Mark Alford of Missouri also chimed in, telling CNN that he is “all for” paying higher prices to “get America right again.”
“We all have a role to play in this to rightsize our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts, he said.
Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so.”
Excuse me for pointing out that Trump never campaigned on a pledge of raising prices.
A Tariff Rollback Already?
On Fox News US Commerce Secretary Lutnick says President Trump could roll back Canada and Mexico tariffs as soon as tomorrow.
That’s a video link on X.
Erica York at the Tax Foundation responded “It would be better for the economy if the tariffs are short lived, but unfortunately, removal won’t undo all the damage to business relationships, economic activity, and the reliability of the US as a trading partner and place to do business.”
The amusing thing is Trump said yesterday “There’s No room left for negotiations.”
24 hours later, apparently there is. But who knows, by tomorrow maybe there won’t be.
A Bit More Common Sense
CNN reports Senate Republican leader expresses wariness over tariffs ahead of Trump’s joint address
Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed wariness Tuesday over some of President Donald Trump’s recent policies, including new tariffs from the administration that threaten to raise the prices Americans pay for a wide array of goods.
Thune, who represents South Dakota – a state that relies heavily on trade with Canada, said while he thinks the president is attempting to secure “an outcome that addresses a concern that the American people have” with his recently imposed tariffs on the country along with Mexico and China, the economic impacts are an issue.
“That’s an issue in my view. I mean, I think you have to think about the economic impacts through inflation,” Thune told CNN’s Dana Bash when pressed on whether the tariffs, and potential cost to every day Americans, are good policy.
In the wake of the administration’s pause on shipments of US military aid to Ukraine following Trump’s heated Oval Office argument with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, Thune cautioned against American isolationism and stressed the need for continued US leadership on the world stage.
“You don’t want America to become isolationist,” Thune told Bash. “Now again, what form America’s involvement and support takes is a matter of debate. And, you know, we can talk about whether soft power, hard power, what components that ultimately entails. But I think in the end, people look to us to be a leader, and we have to provide that leadership.”
Dear Senator Thune, please speak to Senator Markwayne Mullin. After all, Oklahoma is OK.
But what about agriculture?
A Cheezy Deal
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says tariffs will be “crushing” for state’s dairy industry.
“Let’s just talk about cheese. We won’t be able to sell there and on top of that, we’ll be punished for not doing that. Now, is that a big deal for Wisconsin? Not everybody eats cheese, right? But it’s a $1.8 billion industry, and it’s going to be just crushed,” Evers said following an event Tuesday in Madison hosted by Wispolitics.com.
Republicans Squirm as Trump’s Tariffs Come for Their States
Politico notes Republicans Squirm as Trump’s Tariffs Come for Their States
Republicans in Washington have spent weeks dismissing concerns about President Donald Trump’s tariffs or arguing they’re just a negotiating tactic. But now with major tariffs kicking in on the country’s two largest trade partners, some are starting to publicly worry.
“I’m concerned,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said of the 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico that went into effect Tuesday after midnight. “I’m concerned.”
They and dozens of other GOP lawmakers represent states with major agriculture industries that are among the first targets of trade retaliation from Ottawa and Mexico City. The Canadian government has already disclosed more than $20 billion worth of U.S. goods it plans to slap with higher tariffs, including food products such as poultry, beef, fish and yogurt. The fallout for ag producers, a traditionally conservative-leaning industry, will be severe. And it’s prompting Republicans in those states to take on an uncomfortable position in the party right now — questioning, albeit quietly, a major plank of Trump’s agenda.
The agriculture industry lost $26 billion from retaliatory tariffs in 2018 and 2019 — the first time Trump launched a trade war — according to the Agriculture Department, with soybean, sorghum and pork producers facing the biggest losses. While USDA stepped in with billions in direct payments to farmers to help them weather the fallout, that funding may be harder to access in Trump’s second term, as the administration seeks to cut federal spending.
USDA’s Commodity Credit Corp., the agency’s internal bank that the first Trump administration tapped to compensate farmers, is running low on funding. And it may be hard to sell Trump officials on a new infusion of cash for the fund at the same time they are slashing spending elsewhere, warned former Trump trade official Ronald Baumgarten, former senior director in the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office of Agricultural Affairs.
“If you’re trying to shrink government, you certainly don’t want to enlarge the subsidies,” said Baumgarten, who served under both President Barack Obama and Trump.
“We’re going to keep our guys in the game,” said Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), while acknowledging he was concerned about the short-term impact of the tariffs. “I’m going to work hard to do that. And that’s why we’ve got to separate short term and long term. The long-term goal is to get better terms for our guys.”
Ah Yes, Republicans support more handouts for their constituents and damn tens of thousands of small businesses who have no collective voice.
Are We Having Fun Yet?
Trump on Monday appeared to acknowledge the rising fears in farm country, addressing “the Great Farmers of the United States,” in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States,” he wrote. “Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!”
Trump sounds amazingly clueless. The US cannot possibly use all the soybeans and corn we produce.
Agricultural exports have become an increasingly important revenue source for American farmers over the past 25 years, surging from $57.3 billion in 1998 to $174 billion in 2023, according to the Agriculture Department.
Powerful agriculture lobbying groups and GOP lawmakers have said they’re counting on Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to stand up for agriculture interests in Cabinet discussions and bail out producers caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariff battles.
House vs the Senate
Politico notes House and Senate GOP Leaders Split on Trump’s Tariffs.
Speaker Mike Johnson praised the president for giving countries “a dose of their own medicine” while Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hoped the tariffs are “temporary.”
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune — who hails from an agricultural state that was hit hard by the trade wars of the first Trump administration — told reporters he hoped the new tariffs will only be in place as long as it takes to limit the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
“The America First agenda is to reset those relationships” with other countries, Johnson said, noting he did not believe Trump’s intent was to start a “trade war” or an “adversarial thing,” said Johnson.
“This is to continue good relationships and trade policies. I think this initiative will achieve that desired result,” Johnson continued. “As the president said, just have a little patience with this. Let it play out, see how it develops, and I think at the end of the day America is going to be better off.”
Thune acknowledged it could be difficult to separate his own perspective from that of his home state allegiances.
“As you know, I’m, you know, coming from an agricultural state, I see the tariff issue through a different lens,” he told reporters. “Nothing happens in a vacuum.”
Let It Play Out
Both of them are cowards, unwilling to stand up to Trump. But clearly, Johnson is the bigger coward.
As for willing to let this play out, I have a question: For longer than 24 hours? The next stock market decline? Until the farmers complain too much?
Canada and Mexico Strike Back at Trump’s Tariffs With Very Different Rhetoric
Earlier today I commented Canada and Mexico Strike Back at Trump’s Tariffs With Very Different Rhetoric
Whose Approach Is Better? Mexico or Canada?
My original thought was sucking up to Trump might be a great idea.
The problem is Trump will never be satisfied, he does not understand that trade benefits everyone (not just exporters), and he cannot be trusted to honor any deal he makes, even those he signed.
On the other hand, we are on the verge of escalatory madness of epic proportion in Canada.
An Issue of Trust
Trump has proven he may not honor any deal he signs. That is the unfortunate bottom line, and there will be a huge associated cost.
USMCA was up for renegotiation in June of 2026. But Trump couldn’t wait.
I am tired of nonsense about fairness or drugs or whatever. Trump personally negotiated USMCA, it was signed 89-10 by the US Senate, and now he broke the deal. So stop making excuses why.
If Trump wanted drugs to be part of the deal, then he should have put drugs in the deal.
Mish Suggested Approach to Trump
Given the total lack of trust anyone can possibly place on Trump honoring any deal, the best approach is likely along these lines:
1) Tell Trump how brilliant he is, 2) offer him something that costs little but sounds great and lets Trump brag, and then 3) he either takes it or not. 4) Respond accordingly.
It seems Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has figured most of this out. Congratulations!
Question of the Day
How soon will Trump roll back what percentage of these tariffs?
Unfortunately, the damage is done as Erica York points out.
“Removal won’t undo all the damage to business relationships, economic activity, and the reliability of the US as a trading partner and place to do business,” said York.
And that is very close to what I said earlier today: “Trump has proven he may not honor any deal he signs. That is the unfortunate bottom line, and there will be a huge associated cost.”
A better question is how deep and long with this tariff madness damage last? How deep, I don’t know. But trust will be gone for at least four years.
Related Posts
March 3: Welcome to the Recession, Trump Hits Canada and Mexico with 25 Percent Tariffs
“No room left” for negotiations says Trump.
And now US Commerce Secretary Lutnick seeks negotiation. Fancy that.
March 4, 2025: A Global Trade War Has Started – Global Recession Will Follow
The most significant global trade war since Smoot-Hawley and the Great Depression is underway.
Finally, we have not yet felt the hit on small manufacturers do to extremely unwise tariffs.
For discussion, please see How One Small Business Owner Is Coping With Trump’s Tariffs
Fifty-four percent of small businesses polled said that tariffs would negatively affect their companies, while just 11 percent said they would benefit.
Please read the above post and multiply it by tens of thousands of small businesses.
But don’t worry (if you are a farmer), because Republican Senators are ready to bail you out.
Screw the small businesses dependent on steel or aluminum. What a sorry hoot.
Ok, Mish. Per Luke Gromen, whom you say you follow, the best alternative for us is a dramatic lowering of the value of the dollar. That’s will result in much higher inflation, same as tariffs. That also will bring the problem of competitive devaluation. The Chinese will also devalue massively, as will every other country with the ability to do so. So, our devaluation will inflict massive pain on our citizens and accomplish little. The US is the most prized final goods market in the world. There is value in that distinction, and the way to realize that value is through tariffs. Other than military conquest, tariffs are our only obvious weapon. Or, we can pursue your strategy and do nothing or proceed in a glacial but mannerly way. Deficits will widen. Public debt will explode. Interest will consume all of government receipts. Government spending on its dependents will collapse, or we will have hyperinflation. It’s the same effect either way. How do you think this ends? Strife? Revolution? Or, perhaps you think that the world will have a moment of clarity authored by your singular intelligence and suddenly come to its senses and then do what exactly? I enjoy your writing, but I don’t understand your perspective. Please enlighten me, if you feel so inclined. Thank you.
The rhetoric is getting shrill. “24 hour clown show”? What in god’s name was four years of Joe the pied piper of muslims and latin Americans Biden?
It is almost seeming like you can count on government to do the wrong thing. I have the President (Trump) trying to make my life more expensive by imposing 25% tariffs even though there is very little being imported that the United States could make competitively even if the imports cost 25% more. Meanwhile I have a governor (Newsom) whose insurance commissioner won’t allow the state’s largest homeowner’s insurance company to increase rates 22% even though no one else is willing to sell me homeowners insurance, they are the lowest cost around, and the commissioner’s staff recommended that the rate increase be approved. So I will probably have to pay for the California “Fair” plan at an increase of 300%.
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Stuck in the middle with you.
Pray for a Roll Back. An apology is needed, but will never happen,
I’d support an impeachment.
Cipollas laws of stupidity
Law 1: Everyone always and inevitably underestimates the number of stupid people in circulation
Law 2: The probability that a person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
Law 3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or group of people when he or she does not benefit and may even suffer losses.
Law 4: Non-stupid people always underestimate the destructive power of stupid individuals.
Law 5: A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person
(thanks for the tip Portlander)
“Think of how stupid the average person is…and realize half of them are stupider than that.”
–George Carlin
If I hear Lutnik stand behind the fentanyl fig leaf BS any more, I’m going to barf. Get friggin real. Every time he says it he has a smile b/e HE KNOWS THATS B*. A stupid joke.
I hope DOGE does not plan on slashing the the head count at the post office. It’s service is already slow. I filed my state income tax return a week ago via certified mail and it still has not reached the state capital less than 100 miles away. The post office did better with my Federal return also filed by certified mail. My tax payment posted to my bank account this morning after traveling over 2,300 miles.
“The agriculture industry lost $26 billion from retaliatory tariffs in 2018 and 2019 — the first time Trump launched a trade war”
I am amazed this is so easily forgotten by everyone. $26 billion punishment to farmers, then a taxpayer bailout to them all from a guy that supposedly wants to stop government waste??
to those voting this down, do you actually have a factual counterpoint, or do you not like facts intruding on your opinion? the quote is a fact. Farmers lost $26 bilion in revenie and this was then “fixed” by giving them $26 billion from the federal government, funded by debt
It’s easy to vote people up or down here when we can’t see WHO made the vote.
As I have said before, Disqus and some others show who votes up/down. The same should be done here.
How many times do you have to see it Mish? Trump ALWAYS ends up taking both sides of a position. He then typically chooses the first option based on what makes him look “tough”, or how it screws the “other”. Then when it backfires, he changes tack and declares victory. Same thing over and over again.
The USA is a financial and geopolitical cancer patient. The global elites have attempted over many years to under mine the fabric of our nation to bring it to it’s knees and into their New One World Order. Unfortunately for them, Trump’s MAGA movement sets them back. It should not be unexpected that removing this vile tumor and it’s roots will be quick and painless. WEF, Bilderberg, WHO, UN, liberals, weaponized government agencies, etc. must be purged. Then one has the basis for a flourishing “We the People” democracy.
You are mostly correct but what has that got to do with tariffs?
Shhh, he is trying to make sure Obama cannot make Jade Helm 15 work after all these years.
Global “elites”? Good old American Capitalists decided to move jobs from the upper Midwest to the South, then to Mexico, then to China. The “Global Elites” is all distraction theater that has the MAGAs running around like a flock of sheep being chased by dogs. It’s the 1% that don’t want to pay good wages (dare I say union wages?) to US workers if they can get a slave laborer in China for 1/10th the cost. But sure, keep telling your kids that “George Soros!!!!” is going to get them if they don’t behave.
Good for Trump and good for America.
Both Mexico and Canada send over 75% of their exports to the US. Trump holds all the cards. Let’s let him play them. No one ever said it would be smooth sailing. Buckle up buttercups.
Trump: “Trade wars are EASY TO WIN” sounds like he was saying it would be smooth sailing with those words, doesn’t it?
Roll up your rhetoric and smoke it like a blunt.
so the first time he froze tariffs for 30 days. then he said they’re back on, but wait there may be a deal in 24 hours. if we hold all the cards why can’t he stick to plan for more than 10 minutes?
Only good for Trump’s ego. For the rest of us, it’s mayhem. MAGA voters especially will not only continue to be paid badly, but they will lose those badly paid jobs.
A successful ceo has the ability to sell his policy to mid management and the
people in the front line to believe in it, to motivate them and to execute it. Otherwise it’s a rudderless ship. Yesterday was a work of art.
Indirect taxes are not tariffs.
A Tesla sold in Berlin, will pay VAT (value added tax), the same a Mercedes. There is no discrimination, nor unfair pratices.
A Mercedes sold in Alabama don’t pay VAT, obviously, neither a Tesla, but both cars will pay state and local sales taxes.
Trump advisors are liars or really don’t know what they are talking about?
By the way, in US “Retail sales taxes are an essential part of most states’ revenue toolkits, responsible for 32 percent of state tax collections and 13 percent of local tax collections” (from Tax Foundation)
Wow https://crudeoilpeak.info/wp-content/uploads/Incremental-crude-decline-2004-2024.jpg
Thank God for Shale Oil and GasWe’d be f-cked without it
https://fasteddynz.substack.com/p/thank-god-for-shale-oil-and-gas
Trump campaigned on reducing the debt. That automatically means the people paying the bills will have to less to spend on consumer items than they use to. That will continue for as long as they continue reducing the debt. It will change only if the reduced debt actions produce more revenue.
The voters manifestly voted for that when they voted for Trump. Nothing else can come out of it. The only discussion is how soon the benefits of reducing the debt materialize. Until then reduced discretionary spending is the order of the day.
Everybody on the planet has the sovereign debt problem, so maybe there is another approach. Meanwhile, yes a problem, has built up, with plenty of dividends for all along the way. But the invisible hand of the markets has been substantially energized and stabilized by government spending and our own world order since the New Deal and WW2. It has sprinkled revenue far and wide across this land. Otherwise gaping gaps appear and regional zones of failure that are real hardship. (If we really regress to the 1890’s, listen for the screaming and groaning.) But somehow this central 9,000 lb. gorilla (a redistributing hand that feeds them, like the public roads they are on, even while complaining gov never does anything) remains unperceived by most Americans. It is providence apparently, topping up, smoothing their lifestyle. So the sales pitch of a rich fantasist who has always lived in a somewhat artificial mental world lands easily. Can’t see it, and we can all live in a Joe Plumber world of gig economy prosperity for all automatically. OK, it could use some pruning, there are a few abuses, but the overall effect has been widespread being OK, versus a daily struggle.Alright, y’all’s wish is granted. As the big guy says, have fun!
Put money in BTC, it appreciates, you sell it to dollars, then pay of the debt, done.
They will earn higher wages and consume more. For $5 millions u can buy a gold card to earn US citizenship if u invest in the US. The want of dollars will rise. The countries which sell us like it so much ==> they will ask for more !
Munger was the brain !
Do you still really think Trump is even going to TRY to reduce our debt? First things first, how do you think he can square up our budget deficit? You’ll be the first one to ever figure this out, so please, shed light.
Then why is the House passing a debt / deficit busting budget with huge tax cuts for the 1%? Surely you don’t believe in trickle down economics?
““The agriculture industry lost $26 billion from retaliatory tariffs in 2018 and 2019 — the first time Trump launched a trade war”
then Trump did a taxpayer funded bailout for farmers of about $30 billion. So his tariffs aren’t reducing debt. he said his tariffs are for fentanyl.
Powell needs to get ahead of the coming inflation and raise rates a full point next meeting.
SS COL adjustment could be epically large this year!
Ukraine could do the same.
Who is willing to lose access to the #1 consumer market on the planet? By lose I mean Americans buying less due to tariffs.
I don’t know that answer but what I do know, I don’t need most of the stuff I buy. I can do without it. The countries that rely on me buying stupid stuff? Not so much. Actually they must have me buying stupid stuff for their own basic survival. Their leaders can either lower tariffs or find out what happens when their lowly workers are out of work.
We are almost arriving at the standard rhetoric of the USSR, then. Or the most strident environmentalists. Or the Long March rhetoric of the P.R.C. Consume less for the great cause. Who wanted that silly fun and frivolity, anyway, when we could be grinding toward some pie in the sky puritanical state of idealized supremacy.
apparently countries buying our farm goods are willing to lose access: ““The agriculture industry lost $26 billion from retaliatory tariffs in 2018 and 2019 — the first time Trump launched a trade war”
Trump should take off Mexico’s tariffs and add them to Canada’s tariffs.
Why? For all that maple syrup cascading into our country? Surely not the micro-quantities of fentanyl. But maybe not turning Mexico into a pressure-cooker of starving millions (and maybe, new pal of China’s now-boosted global reach and fortunes) is an idea. But ask the big guy in another 15 minutes and I’m sure he’ll have yet another “policy” flitting through his nicely-coifed head.
Actually reverse that. Mexico is NOT in any way a friend to the US except for a few places along the coast.
We done regime change in countries across the world for less than what ill comes from Mexico
Trump is the best story teller in US history. He moves from one string of emotions to the next. He ended with: I believe that god spared my life to make America great again. He is the greatest author we ever had, a contrast of the comatose dems.
Mike Johnson had a total control of the event. He stopped the mess !
“Author.” Nice name for it. Wonderful euphemism.
He can rarely speak a full sentence that doesn’t just repeat the same 2 syllable words in a different order from the prior fragmented sentence.
A story teller, he’s not.
I’m too busy watching the clown show SOTU.
He’s doing a great job of speed running America’s downfall and the global move from the dollar and the US
That’s why I voted for him.
Haha, Awesome, I loaded on cheap stocks today,
Yes, CAPE 36 is dirt cheap, what could go wrong?
President Musk has helped set the tone for Trump’s 2nd term which is best described as deliberate unpredictable chaos. Trump’s first term was not chaotic like this.
Tariffs off tomorrow, but they’ll be back again shortly. Then off again, etc.
Musk is designed to throw out chaos that Trump will then “fix”. Should things go wrong, Musk is the fall guy who is beholden to Trump’s pardon power for any number of Federal crimes he may stumble upon.
Until Trump is removed by the Heritage Foundation and their president JD takes over.
Oddly, someone thought we were not a broke nation before the tariffs.
Take the new tariffs away, and we still have a broke nation.
No way out.
Not at all, the way out is easy. Stop spending so much money on the elderly, and raise taxes a little bit, and we’re good. More immigration would help too.
Now, politically, it’s hard or impossible. But we’re not broke at all.
Yes I am willing to pay higher prices for the good of the country but not for Trump. Consumer confidence is dropping, business confidence is dropping, our trading partners and former allies do not trust us. I seems likely the economy will soon be in freefall. So, what little good Trump has done in tightening up the border and rooting out some DEI rot is being offset by all this other crap.
💧
“It would be better for the economy if the tariffs are short lived, but unfortunately, removal won’t undo all the damage to business relationships, economic activity, and the reliability of the US as a trading partner and place to do business.”
I’m glad this was twice in your post because it’s what I said from the very beginning. If this were a sport, the “season” was over as soon as the captain betrayed the team and there is no way to get anyone to trust him again.
It’s over, the best shot for the world are the mid-terms where dems take congress, grow a spine and take some type of action other wise ride out the next 4 years in chaos.
Inflation is the problem; Its systemic theft.
And now its the answer??? Whatever any politician does, stopping inflation should be top priority
It’s nothing more than a script… from the Ministry of Truth… https://fasteddynz.substack.com/p/what-if-488
Not a whole lot different than Pro Wrestling and Idiocracy.
“BlackRock Inc. has secured control over key ports near the Panama Canal, stripping away Chinese-linked influence over one of the world’s most crucial shipping routes.
The $23 billion deal, which includes $5 billion in debt, will effectively place the strategic ports under American control—a move long advocated by President Donald Trump and national security hawks concerned about China’s grip on global infrastructure.”
MORE WINNING!!! MAGA!!!
Let’s remember that Trump campaigned on a pledge to raise tariffs.
Only now are farm States realizing the implications of this????
They have no one to blame but themselves. They voted for Trump.
The damage — in lost trust — will be significant even if Trump tries to walk back these tariff hikes tomorrow.
What overseas buyer would be foolish enough to enter into long term contracts with U.S. suppliers? What foreign leader would say “buy U.S.” today?
Google “Cipolla’s Five Laws of Stupidity.” Referring to the White House as a clown car is no exaggeration, except no one is laughing.
Lol, nice try!
Mexico and Canada initially were refusing to negotiate, but after Trump imposed tariffs, they backed down (after briefly acting tough) and are now at the table.
Meanwhile investments in US production keep increasing.
Looks like another win, but let’s not all gloat at once — wouldn’t want Sheinbaum or Trudeau pulling a Zelenksy tomorrow!
Speaking of Zelensky, … lol!
a win for what exactly? they said they’d do what they promised a year ago, trump gave them an extension, then he said they’re back on and Lutnick said there’d be an update later today.
the investments promised during Trump’s first term didn’t happen. maybe because compnies don’t want to spend billions building hard assets in a country run by a mercurial autocrat. if you were a CEO of a large company would you spend billions because some bully is twisting your arm? I wouldn’t, because I know the arm twisting will never end
Even nut cases like Trump can realize that they have screwed up bigley. But the damage to America’s credibility is done: nobody is going to trust to US anymore. We are no better than Russia, North Korea, or Iran. Nobody with a sane mind trusts those countries.
Bill Clinton: “he (Putin) kept his word on all the deals we made”.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JLy1gi-R-QM&pp=ygUYQ2xpbnRvbiBwdXRpbiBrZWVwcyB3b3Jk
Putin’s mask came off in 2014. Before that he only killed Russians.
Let’s see what concessions CA & MX may have agreed to before we act like Trump is scared and just rolling back the tariffs because he can’t call their bluffs.
Trump is already ready to cave in as bluffing is primary negotiating tactic.
You can’t have income taxes without tariffs. Otherwise all your industry will move away. The two must be balanced such that price competition is not based on tax differentials.
The man is as transparent as Saran wrap. He is so easy to read by now, moms all over the country wish he was their kid. Everyone knows what hes gonna do and what hes thinking every time. And rule #1 is — when confronted with confrontation, he will always go for the love and walk back any stupid decision he makes.
Which dimensional chess are we playing today?
That’s a very good question. I will roll my 8-dimentional dice 5-sided dice to find out.
Nope, we are in quantum dimensional chess territory now.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the down votes on this thread are from people who gave DJT their vote, AND their brain.
We are so unused to common-sense solutions that when someone uses them we interpret it as quantum-level chess.
If I recall Trump did 4 or 5 special Farm Subsidy deals in his last few years as it’s the cheapest way to buy State votes.
He’s addicted to buying the farm votes and sad he’s willing to kiss off regular business not in farming States.
In 2018 Trump administration introduced $16 billion (~$19.1 billion in 2023) of new trade aid.[9][10] In 2019, the Donald Trump administration increased the bailout to $16 billion (~$18.8 billion in 2023).[11]
Billion here, billion there. So much for controlling spending.
“and now he broke the deal. So stop making excuses why”
Why don’t you write about how Canada broke the deal on day one. I don’t disagree that Trump is wrong to break the deal. But you make it sound like it’s 100% one sided. It most definitely is not.
The average Canadian tariff on US imports is over 50%
The tariff on dairy products, eggs, milk,yogurt is over 200%. It’s over 100% on wheat and corn.
USMCA was supposed to eliminate all of that. Canada never complied with the deal.
Nope. That was all negotiated in the USMCA and signed by Trump. Canada has lived up to the agreement. The US has not.
I can’t see Canada or Mexico ever signing a treaty with the US again, because we won’t keep our word.
So Trump tore it up to make a better deal. Isn’t that what we want from a president? Or would you rather still be asleep at the switch with Biden at the helm?
Exactly. Trump went back on his signed agreement. Why would you sign another one with him if you can’t trust him to keep his word?
That is not what I want from anyone. Particularly our president.
What deal did Canada break?
Be specific.
What did Trump sign that Canada broke?
Hogwash about Canadian US tariffs at 50%.
And BTW, I lived in Canada ~ 12 yrs first part of the decade. SERIOUSLY, they ALL liked Americans! They REALLY did (going on past tense now).
Agree. Trump has changed our relationship with Canada. Canadians are very insulted and are turning into our enemy after a century of being our best friends. This will take a long time to heal.
It started with them booing our national anthem. Then it was Canadian shoppers carefully checking to see if what they were buying came from the US and putting it back on the shelf. Travel plans to visit America are being cancelled. Canadian businesses are looking at alternative sources of suppliers: anyone but the US.
The recently re-elected premier of Ontario campaigned on the basis of fighting back against Trump and he won in a landslide. Today he said he will put a 25% tax on electricity exports to the US and is even threatening to cut off electricity to the US in response to Trump’s tariffs.
He used to call Trump a good friend. Now he says that Trump knifed him in the back.
Kind of wonder if that is what is at play. Mi, Mn and NY lose electricity and Trump can most likely kiss the mid-terms goodbye. Maybe someone got to Trump that Canada CAN hurt the US.
MN gets a minuscule amount of electricity from Canada. A little hydropower from Manitoba for Duluth. And that’s only because that small Duluth power company showboats about working toward 100% renewables – which they do mostly by buying all the wind power from the rest of the state.
Agreed. I watched Canadian news online today. I watched multiple interviews with their provincial leaders, like governors but they call them premiers. I kept hearing the same phrase from different politicians: “We need to Trump-proof the Canadian economy.” Trump has managed to align their left wing socialists and right wing conservatives into some sort of neo-patriotic economic war mentality.
Yep. When you knife your best friend in the back, it changes your relationship. Canadians are not taking this very well. After a hundred years of integrating our two economies, all political parties there are now promoting anti-American economic policies. It only took Trump a month to accomplish this.
Lying/betrayal changes relationships forever, and not in a positive way. The bridge can be rebuilt, but it will be rickety at best and the side that was transgressed upon will place heavy guards on their side to ensure they never get screwed again.
It’s like when a spouse cheats. The relationship can continue but not in the same capacity as it did before, if it continues at all.
A good analogy. Trump is also verbally abusing Canadians every chance he gets, like an abusive spouse. Taunting them. Calling their Prime Minister “Governor Trudeau”. Saying they’re the 51st state. Talking about annexing them. Saying that Canada has “nothing” that the US needs, yet demanding the Keystone Pipeline be built to bring down more cheap Canadian oil.
This daily verbal abuse is not sitting well with Canadians. Even if we settle all the issues that Trump is bringing up, our relationship with Canadians is changed for a very long time.
Those poultry and dairy quotas were agreed between the US and Canada, and they cover less than 1 percent of bilateral trade. Why make up stupid stuff if you know it’s wrong?
You guys can’t fact-check Eric like this. He’s an attorney so he knows how to look up tariff schedules
LOL! What a clown show! This is the best entertainment ever!
It will be an ‘interesting’ year. Mish will be busy….lol.
Truth, justice and labor arbitrage for all of the oligarchs …