Summary
Trump warned automakers not to raise prices after announcing a 25% tariff on imported vehicles starting April 3, claiming the tariffs would be “great” and benefit U.S. manufacturing.
Industry leaders, including GM, Ford, and Stellantis CEOs, expressed concerns about inevitable price increases, with experts warning tariffs could add thousands to car costs.
Auto suppliers stated that absorbing tariffs is impossible, and dealers fear affordability challenges for consumers.
While the United Auto Workers union support the move as a job creator, trade groups predict higher prices and fewer manufacturing jobs.
Why’s he so utterly obsessed with tariffs? Like he thinks they just fix everything. It’s so stupid.
Usually, it takes Congress to agree on something to raise taxes on the working class. With tariffs, he can do it by himself like a real dictator would.
Keep in mind that Congress delegated that power to the President, and (if they were ever to become vertebrates) they could rescind that power too.
Trump is not nearly as smart as people seem to think he is.
I 100% guarantee you that someone in his inner circle has convinced him that tariffs fix everything and it’s now the entirety of his economic playbook.
It also hurts America and alienates us from our allies, which is what his puppet master wants, so two birds/one stone.
I mean he’s essentially just following project 2025. They clearly didn’t want him to think too much this time around.
I don’t know, I feel like if he was dumber than most people thought he would be vegetative.
The list of allies is not that long at the moment.
And continues to shrink every time he opens his mouth.
He had to learn that even a president doesn’t have absolute power to rule. And he’s intellectually incapable of drafting and passing proper laws. Therefore, he uses decrees and tariffs, tools that even a teenager could use. His actions reveal that he does not really understand the complexity of society or the economy.
Trump’s thing are 1:1 negotiations, like with Putin. He’s all about making a deal personally and people gushing over how great of a deal he made. Unfortunately he’s not nearly as good as he thinks he is.
Tariffs are meant as his opening power move, like the used car salesman’s firm handshake. Same (I hope…) as the fuckery on Canada or Greenland. They are the “I am strong and I want something, let’s sit and negotiate”.
Problem is that the used car salesman only has two outcomes: customer buys the clunker or customer walks away. But it rarely happens that “customer is strong-armed into buying the clunker but customer is fire-fighter and next time will let the car dealership burn down”.
Let’s be clear about it: he’s absolutely worthless at it.
And to those who adhere to the lazy “Trump is always transactional” pseudo-explanation: Trump is never transactional when it comes to Putin. The words you’re looking for in that case are “consistently, predictably servile.” And I wouldn’t call his multiple divide-and-rule extortion schemes “negotiations” either. He’s just seeing how much he can get away by strong-arming weaker nations or organisations.
Like those who pull his strings know that tariffs are an effective means of economic sabotage.
The government takes the increase at import from the importer. He’s the government. He’s telling them he’s keeping the money that he inserted himself into the supply chain.
Like it’s probably going to his personal bank account.
In addition to what others have said, he also enjoys the direct power it gives him over corporate leaders. He wants to coerce them into subservience so they have to kiss his ass and be nice to him. Tariffs give him something to hold over their heads.
Isn’t the narrative that he’s jacking up Tariffs to remove the income tax? Like how it used to be 100 years ago or some shit.
He’s using the money to pay for the impending wars he’s trying to start.
Or the wars that he’s going to accidentally start.