When President Donald Trump rolled out his tariffs in April, it was a literal “tangerine dream” of wishful thinking. He hoped to bring jobs back by increasing manufacturing output, while punishing China with onerous tariffs to bring down the trade deficit.
Instead of revamping our industrial base, the tariffs have been a tax on American consumers. There has been no increase in jobs, no manufacturing boom, but massive government layoffs. It hasn’t fixed the trade deficit, but we are paying higher prices for food and other essentials.
An estimate by S&P Global shows businesses will pay $1.2 trillion in tariff related costs this year. Companies won’t absorb those costs — they have passed them along to consumers. Instead of investing in future growth, firms are reluctant to plan ahead in such a hectic economy.
Meanwhile, the ball is in the Supreme Court as to whether it is legal for the president to wield unchecked power over the economy. The Founding Fathers were fearful of a unitarian executive — like a king, who could decide matters at his whimsy. We have a constitutional republic, where legislative affairs are decided by speech and debate in Congress.
As of this writing, three separate rulings by lower federal courts determined that the president does not have the power to impose tariffs, duties or taxes. In the case before the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts declared, “tariffs are taxes.” Only Congress has the power to impose taxes.
Trump’s view of the trade deficit, which has existed for over 50 years, as a national emergency, strains credulity. His tariffs have caused havoc in the economy and harmed our relationships with world trading partners. He has used tariffs to punish countries who go against him and offers relief when they agree to his demands. That is how a mob boss operates.
Perhaps the SCOTUS should do some soul-searching about their decision to bestow immunity to a sitting president for crimes committed while performing official duties. So far the justices seem skeptical of the arguments presented by the government solicitor general, John Sauer. The bottom line is, no president should be able to exercise a power he does not have.
Don Hiddleson, Millcreek
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