Exactly, and that is exactly what he has said. He said the ideal is reciprocal free trade but 1) we’re not going to be chumps and 2) he is willing to use tariffs or the threat of tariffs to make free trade happen. It seems to have worked with Europe.
What’s funny is that the ankle biting weasel Paul Ryan came out this morning snarking about tariffs. Ryan would have enthusiastically avoided putting tariffs on Euro products while never forcing the same thing in the other direction. That’s where Trump has beaten Ryan. Ironically the “protectionist bully” Trump has managed to achieve an outcome closer to the theoretical ideal than supposed free trade purist (but really trade masochist) Ryan could or would have. That’s because Trump is willing to ruffle feathers and use leverage.
Yup. Tariffs are Constitutional.
Supposed to belong to Congress, not the Prez, but the underworld will freeze over before those feckless cretins Do anything.