Taxes including tariffs slow the economy so the economy would not have grown as large and would have slowed exploration or it would have been offset against any tariff gains.
Tariffs do not slow our economy down at all. Tariffs reduce demand for foreign goods which has no effect here. We took the unemployment/economic hit up front when we offshored and did the creative destructive thing. I guess closing factories and laying off millions had no effect on the economy at least according to you..
Tariffs and the decrease in demand only affects workers in places we import from. It stimulates our economy with domestic industries reopening, construction of new plants and hiring of factory workers. Tariffs would cause and an economic bonanza here. Again you have it backwards.