MSNBC host Chris Hayes described his alarm at Donald Trump’s obvious “pathological obsession” with tariffs after the president doubtlessly ignited a commerce warfare by placing duties on imports from China, Mexico and Canada.
“He understands that, like, battle drives consideration, so he’s selecting fights, as a result of that’s what drives consideration,” Hayes said on an MSNBC panel Sunday. “However the scarier factor right here, and that is the factor that hasn’t set in — it hasn’t set in if you speak to Republicans, folks on Wall Avenue — he has a pathological obsession with tariffs.”
“Like, he genuinely, actually believes,” he added. “Like, sure, it’s half stunt. Sure, it’s half demonization. But in addition, you may’t transfer him off this concept, this rock-headed thought, that tariffs are the answer to all of America’s issues.”
Trump on Saturday declared an financial emergency and mentioned he was putting tariffs of 10% on all imports from China and 25% on these from Mexico and Canada, following by on marketing campaign threats and roiling global markets. It units up a state of affairs that economists warn may simply drive costs up for American customers.
Hayes mentioned it was “so unusual” that Individuals cited inflation and excessive costs as a high election concern, however Trump received after “explicitly working on an agenda and marketing campaign promised to lift costs.”
“This was clear as day, and for some motive, nobody, like, listened,” he mentioned. “The Wall Avenue, up till yesterday, was saying the tariffs aren’t going to occur. He clearly believes in tariffs.
“He additionally appears to have a vendetta in opposition to our closest allies,” he added, questioning the lesser tariff on China versus Canada.
Fellow MSNBC host Alicia Menendez argued Trump’s tariffs are “not likely about commerce.”
“That is about him attempting to villainize a few of our biggest commerce companions and allies, and particularly, I believe, within the case of Mexico, to type of reframe this as a query that’s actually about immigration and fentanyl, when it has nothing to do with that,” she mentioned.
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