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A US president has some authority granted by congress to enact Tariffs. Donald Trump doesn't like being told no. Donald Trump is also very transactional. Ergo, he can implement them and then tell the entities under the tariffs he can make them go away if they give him what he wants.

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Yeah. That's absolutely true. I think people under-appreciate their effectiveness as a negotiating tactic.

I'm not sure Donold is actually good at negotiations. The last time, the tariffs did not have the intended effect, we had to bail out farmers from reciprocal tariffs, and the deal to end it was not honored by the other side (did not buy anywhere near the amount of farm products they agreed to)

He is first and foremost a reality TV star, second an unilateral directory of a family real estate empire. All of his other "businesses" are largely brand deals for his name, most of which went bankrupt

I think the reason he reaches for things like tariffs is because he is lacks experience in and is unable to negotiate and build consensus, especially with members of congress. Tariffs are a unilateral action he can take, which is like how he has operated in his private family businesses

I'd be curious to hear Maggie Haberman's take. Trump has given her more access and interviews than others over something like 20 years

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