My best guess is that it’s out of incompetence. He believes that tariffs will help bolster American hegemony. Something he doesn’t realize is that tariffs are a tactic, not a strategy. Tariffs are only viable when local industry is strong, and not completely outsourced to other countries because of an economy that orients itself around profit instead of the well-being of a nation. And that Israel is de facto an American colony, and tariffing it will only weaken it.
This is also why he’s shutting down USAID. He does not understand that its true purpose is in foreign interference and a tool to bolster American soft power. Instead, he genuinely believes that helping other people is its intended purpose and not an afterthought at best, and said “nope, fuсk that shit, we’re out.”
Not that I’m complaining. It’s always a good thing to have our enemy be in control by an incompetent man rather than a competent one.
