A Self-Inflicted Blow to Trump's Congressional Agenda
Trump's Tariffs are Trouble
Donald Trump’s tariff strategy is kicking up a storm of controversy. His haphazard, impulsive rollout is breeding resentment that will likely boomerang on him down the line. The issue isn’t solely the policy—tariffs are a hard sell even with meticulous planning—but the erratic execution is souring relations with allies and energizing opponents. Take, for instance, his imposition of tariffs that flout the USMCA, an agreement he signed in 2019, or his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs, which aren’t truly reciprocal, penalize countries with favorable terms toward the U.S., and create a chaotic mess. With a divided Congress already in play, antagonizing broad segments of the public hardly seems a brilliant move. Lawmakers, including fellow Republicans, may hesitate to support him on crucial votes if their constituents are reeling from economic upheaval or sticker shock at the checkout.
The Democrats, meanwhile, must be licking their chops. Trump’s tariff gambit is handing them a golden opportunity to regroup and rally. After a bruising election cycle, they’ve been handed a fresh narrative: the reckless leader who’s tanking the economy for no clear gain. It’s not hard to imagine them seizing this moment to reenergize their base and flip the script on Republican momentum. If Trump wants to push an ambitious agenda through Congress, he’ll need every ounce of political capital he can muster. Burning bridges with a policy that feels more like a tantrum than a strategy isn’t just bad optics—it’s a self-inflicted wound that could stall his bigger plans.