Trump announces 35% tariffs on Canada, cites 2 reasons:
1. fentanyl imports to U.S.
2. Canada imposing retaliatory tariffs
3 ridiculous parts of this-
The tax is on U.S. consumers- we - U.S. citizens/consumers face an increase in taxes of 35% because of these non-valid reasons.
All of the folks that think Trump is lowering taxes- he is- for the wealthiest and for corporations. For the average person, these tariffs raise prices. They are in reality regressive taxes, hurting the poor and middle class much more than the wealthy.
The fentanyl imports reason- just plain stupid. Does Trump not know only 1% of fentanyl comes through Canada? If not, how can he not know after using it as a ridiculous rationale for months now? Do none of his advisors want to point out that his assessment of fentanyl coming through Canada is completely unmoored from reality? Why do they let him cite it as a reason? Even if he is ignorant of reality, his advisors are either choosing to remain ignorant themselves, or are willing to flat out lie. Just plain stupid. We have to pay a tax of 35% on imports to support his ignorance and/or dishonesty in his negotiations with Canada?
Retaliatory tariffs- this is simply another bully tactic by a terrible negotiator. We are imposing tariffs unilaterally against an economic and security partner using questionable rationales. In other words, we declare economic war against one of our most important economic partners. And he for some reason expects them to just take it. "Surrender or else" is his negotiating position. How dare they respond with tariffs on U.S. products/imports? The problem is, Canada is really doing everything they can relative to fentanyl- it isn't a real problem, so how can they fix something that isn't broken? Expecting them to also not respond on the economic front doesn't reflect any understanding that they have their own equities and that they will defend those equities. Trump is trying to tell a sovereign country that he is allowed to levy tariffs (which is really Congress' power, but the Republicans have handed that power to the executive branch)- but that Canada, as a sovereign country, can't respond in kind. Additionally, the "they have been ripping us off economically" argument is just absurd. Show the evidence. The only thing close are some protectionary tariffs. There are some, but don't pretend they are economically significant, that we don't already have a trade agreement with Canada, and that we don't have protectionary tariffs ourselves. Just plain stupid.
On this whole tariffs topic, Trump is either completely ignorant, completely corrupt, or some combination of the 2. His rationale make no sense and have no real ties to reality. That is a problem. The bigger problem are his enablers in the administration and Congress, and followers that refuse to see that what he is doing is against their own best interests and the interests of our country as a whole.