Opinion | How Trump’s Radical Tariff Plan Could Wreck Our Economy - The New York Times

Donald Trump has flip-flopped on many issues: Today, he says he’s pro-life; in 1999, he said, “I’m very pro-choice.” Last year, he said Republicans should “never give up!” on trying to repeal Obamacare; during September’s presidential debate, he said, “I saved it.” Three years ago, he said Bitcoin “seems like a scam”; now he wants to make America the “crypto capital of the planet.” But Trump’s desire for high tariffs has been consistent. In an interview on Tuesday at the Economic Club of Chicago, he said, “To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariff.’” As president, he called himself “a Tariff Man.” In fact, he imposed substantial tariffs when in office. Those actions were, however, mild compared with the tariffs he is proposing now. He initially suggested a 10 percent tariff on all imports, but now he talks about tariffs as high as 20 percent. (In Chicago, he even mused about 50 percent.) He wants a 60 percent tariff on imports from China. Most economists believe that

Donald Trump has flip-flopped on many issues: Today, he says he’s pro-life; in 1999, he said, “I’m very pro-choice.” Last year, he said Republicans should “never give up!” on trying to repeal Obamacare; during September’s presidential debate, he said, “I saved it.” Three years ago, he said Bitcoin “seems like a scam”; now he wants to make America the “crypto capital of the planet.” But Trump’s desire for high tariffs has been consistent. In an interview on Tuesday at the Economic Club of Chicago, he said, “To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariff.’” As president, he called h