Trump pushes 25 percent auto tariff as top advisers scramble to stop him

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

By Damian Paletta
July 25 at 10:34 AM

Several of President Trump’s senior economic advisers believe he plans to push forward with 25 percent tariffs on close to $200 billion in foreign-made automobiles later this year, three people briefed on internal discussions said.

Trump wants to move forward despite numerous warnings from GOP leaders and business executives who have argued that such a move could damage the economy and lead to political mutiny.

But Trump has become increasingly defiant in his trade strategy, following his own instincts and intuition and eschewing advice from his inner circle. He has told advisers and Republicans to simply trust his business acumen, a point he tried to reinforce Wednesday morning in a Twitter post.

“Every time I see a weak politician asking to stop Trade talks or the use of Tariffs to counter unfair Tariffs, I wonder, what can they be thinking?” Trump said Wednesday. “Are we just going to continue and let our farmers and country get ripped off?”

-snip-


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-pushes-25-percent-auto-tariff-as-top-advisers-scramble-to-stop-him/2018/07/25/f7b9af04-8f8a-11e8-8322-b5482bf5e0f5_story.html

[machoneman]

1. Woo-Hoo! Mid-terms, here we come! Man, Trumpenstein is HANDING us the House and maybe the Senate!

So much winning! Hah!

[riversedge]

31. We need to work to #GoTV. yes. we. do.

[jmowreader]

38. All we have to do is flip three red Senate seats and not lose any

Thanks to auto-filibustering we won’t get any legislation passed, but Trump’s court-packing stops.

[cstanleytech]

2. The twit from twitter keeps repeating the same mistakes in history.

Makes me wonder if he has a mental illness or if he was even paying attention in school during history class.

[yonder]

35. He IS history class. nt

If we survive to look to the past.

[duforsure]

3. He's working for putin

And trying to destroy our economy for him now. While destroying it he's conning his supporters that its the opposite of what they're seeing now done to them.

[Honeycombe8]

5. This is interesting theory. It's sad that it could be true. nt

[DBoon]

10. it is very sad it is even remotely credible

nt

[FuzzyRabbit]

23. I firmly believe you are correct.

Trump seems bound and determined to cruelly harm as many people as he can.

[sdfernando]

25. Hope you will all enjoy your new Lada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AvtoVAZ

[colorado_ufo]

29. This is exactly what I think,

and it is perfectly in line with backing out of all our treaties, alienating our allies, and weakening NATO. He is laying the groundwork to weaken, weaken, weaken the country. He doesn't care - he will always get "his." He is working hard to create as much chaos, disinformation, and destruction as possible. Look what he has achieved in under two years! He may be grossly uninformed, but never make the mistake of thinking that this crafty fox is stupid. He knows how to look out for himself.

He will then replace our old alliances with alliances with Russia, convincing his "base" that this is the way to go, making Russia seem much stronger and more influential than it is. This will exponentially strengthen and grow the Russian economy, as we will have fewer and fewer trading partners. He will then use this lack of trading partners to justify lifting the sanctions on Russia, which will accelerate this process further. As the Russian economy roars, Putin will seem like a hero, and he will easily stay in control.

Then, we will have some "crisis" that will delay the presidential election, keeping him in office for a THIRD term, until the SOB dies. By then, Russia will have so much influence, both overtly and covertly, that we will simply become de facto "Russia West."

Drip by drip, inch by inch. After all, what has Russia got to lose?

[metalbot]

40. Maybe

But he's also an egomaniac narcissist who's not particularly smart attempting to do one of the hardest jobs in the world using governing principles so useless that they can fit into a couple of tweets. He doesn't need to take orders from Putin on any of this - I think he's vastly more divisive and destructive than Putin could have dreamed.

That said, I think there are strong personal economic ties to Russia (as in, he's been laundering money for them effectively) that are influencing his Russia policy. All the other stupid stuff he does (and there's a lot of it) is just unexpected bonus for Putin.

[Honeycombe8]

4. That might kill the American auto industry. He's insane. nt

[SFnomad]

17. Well, tRump still has a chip on his shoulder over President Obama saving the American Auto Industry

And tRump is just being tRump

[riversedge]

33. Trump is vindictive. yes. he. is.

[Honeycombe8]

37. Yes, he is. And his supporters are the same way. That's who he attracts...

and more importantly, that's what he encourages in his supporters, who are apparently like globs of clay ready to be molded.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. "lead to political mutiny."

They should have fucking "mutinied" a year ago.

And this little paragraph is real rich -

But Trump has become increasingly defiant in his trade strategy, following his own instincts and intuition and eschewing advice from his inner circle. He has told advisers and Republicans to simply trust his business acumen, a point he tried to reinforce Wednesday morning in a Twitter post.

You would "trust" someone who has gone bankrupt 6 times and who can't get a U.S. bank to loan to him?

[keithbvadu2]

12. You beat me to it... Good one!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. +1

[Racerdog1]

7. The end is near

He knows his failed bullshit presidency is coming to an end. Trying his best to appease his Russian handlers before he goes down.

[SamKnause]

8. You magnificent orange man go for 100% tariffs !!!

Your other tariffs are working out splendidly !!!!

Our farmers are thrilled with the trade war you have started !!!!

Harley Davidson has bragged nonstop about how beneficial the trade wars are !!!

I don't know why people will not listen to the smartest man who has ever lived ???

I don't know why they keep trying to interfere with the most successful businessman

who has ever walked the planet !!!

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

22. Why stop at 100%? Let's go all the way to 200%!!!

If you are going to fuck up America's economy, why not fuck it up bigger than any president has been able to fuck it up before? I don't understand why they didn't do it, but Donnie Two Scoops sure looks like he's committed to sending the U.S. -- hell, the world -- economy into a tailspin. And he doesn't give a shit, because he's only trying to please one man. Believe me!

[SamKnause]

24. I hear you.

Believe me !!!

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Trump's interpretation of "ripped off" (re farmers and country getting "ripped off"):

1. This country and its businesses don't get an unfair advantage over other countries we're trading with.

and/or

2. No money is being diverted into Trump's opened pocket.

[metalbot]

42. The problem with many of Trumps claims

Is that there's some kernel of truth in them. His supporters cling to the kernel and let the narrative go where it may.

We absolutely do business with countries that protect their domestic markets more than we do our own. That hasn't really stopped us from making a crap ton of money, but you could argue that the trading rules could be more equitable.

That being said, almost nobody thinks that the way to get better trade deals is to impose tariffs. The way to get better trade deals is to carefully negotiate, something that takes a long time and doesn't give Trump the instant gratification that he needs personally. Thus, he's taken a different approach which is to say "let's impose tariffs that everyone hates, and that will make the negotiations happen faster". Unfortunately, that approach starts with everyone mad at each other, and is likely to make the negotiations harder.

[keithbvadu2]

11. Yet still no tariffs on foreign made Trump family products?

[bucolic_frolic]

14. I continue to advise

that Trump will get this economy so fouled up. Whatever you need from overseas, that is foreign made, that is a frequently replaced or occasionally worn out part, put one or two on the shelf to last you 6-10 years because you may not be able to get them once he gets done tinkering with what ain't broken.

I'm thinking of automobile parts and consumables - filters, seals, switches, bearings, gaskets. Plumbing parts - valves, seals, gaskets, pump parts. Tools. Chemicals and solvents.

[The Liberal Lion]

15. The "Tajmahalification" of America continues

unabated......
(to be continued?)

[sinkingfeeling]

16. Do it. Destroy the auto industry. After all, Obama saved Detroit.

[kimbutgar]

26. Most of the states where autos are manufacturered are red states that went for him

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

Sadly the cult members will not turn against him for hurting their livelihoods.

[workinclasszero]

18. This insane auto tariff will be the final nail in the Obama economy

Putin's puppet will have achieved his masters goal of totally isolating the USA in this world and destroying our political influence.

It's so sick to see an obvious Russian asset like Trump being allowed to destroy this country day after day and not one thing is done to stop him.

[dalton99a]

19. I always trust the president's business acumen

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-mints-donald-trump-commemorative-coin-544689
A Russian Company Has Minted a Set of Commemorative 'In Trump We Trust' Coins

[FloridaBlues]

20. For anyone thinking about buying a new car do it soon

Prices will go up.

[dalton99a]

21. +1. Used car prices will go up as well

[BadGimp]

27. The danger level resulting fromTrumps Trade War is reaching a crisis level imo.

[Bleacher Creature]

28. Well, he is going after all of Obama's legacy.

And Obama did save the auto industry, so this shouldn't come as a huge shock.

The people in Michigan who voted for this moron should be ashamed.

[louis-t]

30. He will do it, he will get away with it and

Trumpistas will cheer.

[beachbum bob]

32. The retaliation will be huge as EU will end US imports, all imports

[Yavin4]

34. How bad do things have to get before Republicans in congress act?

Does it have to get to a "Mad Max"-like world?

[KY_EnviroGuy]

36. Will they subsidize all the import car dealers that will have to close their doors....

after their sales drop to zero?

They're rescuing farmers (subsidies) and gazillionaires (tax cuts) so why not car dealers?.....

Oh wait, that could be called socialism........ ........ .......

[TomCADem]

39. Thought That Tariffs on Imports Was Considered a Populist Move?

Heck, even on DU, scapegoating foreign trade and immigrants was praised by the No TPP/Repeal NAFTA crowd. You would think that Bernie Sanders would have Trump's back on this, since this was Bernie's signature issue.

[Bengus81]

41. LOVE IT!!! Hope new cars go up $5,000 over SHITlers trade game................