The penalty of an additional 10 percent in tariffs on countries that do not support his claims to Greenland (rising to 25 percent from June) once again shows that, for Trump, tariffs are primarily a lever of power politics. Donald Trump has said it time and time again: “To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff. It's my favorite word.” Over the years, Trump has expressed opposing opinions on just about everything. He has called for a massive one-time tax on the rich and universal health insurance provided by employers with subsidies for those in need – only to later advocate exactly the opposite. Between 1999 and 2012, Trump switched political parties seven times. Only in one respect has Trump remained true to himself: on the issue of tariffs. He used to blame the Japanese and the trade deficit with Japan for America’s economic problems. He has successfully garnered voter support by alternately blaming the Japanese, Germans, or Chinese, highlighting the negative U.S. trade balance and calling for higher tariffs.
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