I’ve never been a fan of Jamelle Bouie and his latest take on Trump and tariffs is a good example of why. As with everything he writes, it comes with no surprises or genuine insights. Instead, it’s more anti-Trump, anti-Republican material for his audience of like-minded readers. His job is to convince you he’s being thoughtful when in reality he’s just shoveling progressive hot takes that are as predictable as the sunrise.
It is a fool’s errand to try to rationalize President Trump’s obsession with tariffs.
This is not to say that people haven’t tried. There are any number of theories that seek to explain Trump’s preoccupation with tariffs and trade wars. Perhaps he wants to revitalize American manufacturing and bring factory jobs back to postindustrial communities racked by poverty and despair. Perhaps he wants the revenue he generates from large…
