The thing is, a carefully conceived tariff policy is not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve known since David Ricardo in the early 19th century that free trade is economically beneficial to both parties and tariffs are economically harmful, but economics aren’t the only consideration. The covid pandemic exposed the dangers of over-reliance on global supply chains; there’s something to be said for economic self-sufficiency.

What would make sense would be to impose tariffs on countries calibrated to their domestic labor policies (low wages and safety standards, lack of worker protections). That would level the playing field for American workers, removing the incentive for employers to move their operations offshore and making American labor more competitive globally. But that would require a level of nuance beyond Trump’s capacity.