There Was Never a Master Plan: Trump backed down on tariffs. His supporters think that was the idea all along. - "The financier Bill Ackman, who had spent much of the past few days posting (and occasionally deleting) careful critiques of Trump's tariffs, posted, 'This was brilliantly executed by @realDonaldTrump. Textbook, Art of the Deal.'
"What deal? Nobody has made a new trade agreement with Trump. To the contrary, other countries have found the administration unable to even articulate its goals or objectives, because Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs are the product of a nonsensical formula putatively serving a grab bag of mutually exclusive goals."
Americans Want to Be Rich: That simple aspiration propelled Trump into office, but it is now threatened by his tariffs. - "Class-war conservatives rely on a romanticized vision of America's economic past. They long for a return to mass manufacturing employment. Yet working-class America has transitioned from manufacturing to service-sector employment for a reason: The jobs are, in general, of far higher quality. Being a nursing assistant or a maintenance worker can be just as challenging and meaningful as working in a 1950s coal mine, only the work is far less likely to leave you profoundly disabled. Today's manufacturing jobs are safer, more stimulating, more productive, and more remunerative than their mid-century equivalents. Yes, there are fewer of them, as the least safe, least stimulating, least productive, and least remunerative jobs have been either automated or offshored. We can certainly try to bring the lowest-paid, most physically demanding jobs home, perhaps by rolling back domestic labor standards or imposing a new 'robot tax' to deter labor-saving automation. But don't be surprised if those jobs become a magnet for low-skill immigrants."
High tariffs didn't make the U.S. rich in the 19th century. They won't this time.: On tariffs and 19th century economic growth - "When we look at one country in history, we face an N=1 problem. We have no control group. The late 19th century United States also featured explosive population growth, mass European immigration, rapid technological innovation, westward expansion, abundant natural resources, high literacy rates, and stable property rights. Any of these could be the real growth driver." [ed. note: hit paywall]
Whitmer stands out from Democrats as she addresses Trump’s tariffs: The Michigan governor, a potential presidential candidate, signaled Wednesday that she sees some common ground with Trump on his trade vision. - "'As I’ve said before, I’m not against tariffs outright, but it is a blunt tool,' Whitmer said. 'You can’t just pull out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clear, defined end goal.'
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"But then, illustrating the political peril for Democrats seeking collaboration with Trump, the president signed executive actions targeting two officials who served in his previous administration and opposed actions Trump had taken.
"'The governor was surprised that she was brought into the Oval Office during President Trump’s press conference without any notice of the subject matter,' Whitmer spokeswoman Kaylie Hanson said in a statement. 'Her presence is not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made at that event.'
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"Another Democrat who is considered a possible White House contender, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, directly rebuffed Whitmer’s speech.
"'The 'tariff hammer' winds up hitting your own hand rather than the nail,' Polis wrote on X. 'Tariffs are bad outright because they lead to higher prices and destroy American manufacturing.'"
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