Trump's Trade War: When Bad Economics Makes Good Politics

Cargo ship and harbor with a picture of the globe in the water.
Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash. Unsplash+ License obtained by editor.
Author: Dan Sally
Created: 14 Apr, 2025
1 min read

Last week, Americans witnessed President Trump's "art of the deal" in action as his administration imposed sweeping tariffs on global trading partners, only to roll them back after markets cratered and bond yields spiked.

Economists largely agree the Trump administration's tariff policy will be bad for the economy, with many fearing it will push us into recession. But are the politics behind it just as bad, or do they work to Trump's advantage? In this episode, Dan and Shawn explore how the most important counties in the past three election cycles have been the ones most affected by trade with China, how the GOP may be taking more reliable Republican strongholds for granted, and how the fallout may result in Congress placing limits on presidential power.

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