Brian Hennessy: Tariffs, Trump, and making America great

To The Daily Sun,

A recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal was extremely critical of Donald Trump and his new automobile tariffs. A few excerpts from their editorial would seem to be in order:

"Mr. Trump justifies his car tariffs as a 'national security' threat. ... Canada and Mexico, those global menaces, account for about half of the U.S. auto imports. U.S. allies in South Korea, Japan and Europe account for almost all the rest. Imports give Americans more choices, and at lower prices, than they would otherwise have if all cars sold in the U.S. had to be made domestically. Americans as a result can afford more and better cars than they could afford a few decades ago. This is a security threat to whom exactly?"

When the conservative WSJ is this concerned by Trump's policies it speaks volumes. People with an understanding of basic economic theory (not to mention history) know that tariffs are a lose/lose proposition. Consumer sentiment is reaching new lows, inflation is gaining traction, and the stock market is retreating. It's reassuring to see that many of those who voted for this administration are now asking themselves ... is this really making America great again?

Brian Hennessy

Wolfeboro