Yeah, it’s still a possibility that he’s just that stupid: loves tariffs, doesn’t know why, doesn’t understand them or much of anything, acts on his stupid impulses, and then gets temporarily talked back.
For example, I’m listening to him now, and his stupidity is strong. It might not have been shenanigans.
Why can’t it be both?
He is deeply stupid. His handlers less so.
It’s people whispering in his ear, knowing how he’ll react, that are cleaning up. I’d put Musk at the top of that list. He let Navarro start his little ball rolling, and then when it was convenient, he chopped his legs out from under him and cleaned up.
I hadn’t thought about it this way, but Musk carpet-bombing Navarro this week may well have had an effect.
Less so… but not anywhere close to smart
Do you think Trump understands that the massive response from the market equates to a giant “Fuck You!”?
Let me stop you there…
I wonder who finally got him to understand that the frenzied sell off of Treasury Bonds would be devastating?
Gifting Heather Long’s Op-Ed this afternoon in WaPo…
"There are a lot of reasons investors (likely including some foreign governments) wanted to sell. Some wanted to invest elsewhere in the world; others needed to exit bonds to have more cash on hand. But, at heart, it all came down to the same belief: The United States is no longer looking rock solid. It’s impossible to make sense of what Trump is doing — and it’s not worth the risk of finding out just how much will break because of his actions…
U.S. government bonds are at the center of almost everything that happens in markets. Many investments around the world are priced according to how much more risky they are than U.S. government bonds. Trump took the average U.S. tariff rate from about 2 percent to 22.5 percent — the highest in more than a century, according to the Budget Lab at Yale. That chipped away at the bedrock reputation of the U.S. government. Investors will be wary of going all-in again on U.S. bonds."
I remain convinced that he will default on US debt payments; it’s been his business model for his entire life.
Take this how you will:
“He’s at the peak of just not giving a f— anymore,” said a White House official with knowledge of Trump’s thinking. “Bad news stories? Doesn’t give a f—. He’s going to do what he’s going to do. He’s going to do what he promised to do on the campaign trail.”
So…if I go to HEB today, groceries prices will be down, and the Russia war with Ukraine will be over?
PS I do not believe he does not give a fuck about negative stories.
It would be completely out of character for him
Oh, all of this is completely true, too, obviously.
Bingo. He is concerned about negative stories more than anything else.
Trump’s trade representative was sitting in front of Congress when Trump announced the pause. It didn’t go well for him, which is a good thing because he’s a monumentally smug prick who has been trying to gaslight the world for two days now.
It’s just about the only he does care about.
Trump, backpedaling like Wile E. Coyote in midair: “No other president would’ve done what I did.”
No fucking shit.
Sadly, that part of his campaign rhetoric remains simply campaign rhetoric. His other perceived grievances, however…
A year ago I would’ve agreed with you about Trump’s obsession with negative media coverage. Now, I really do think he’s beyond caring about that and is much more focused on retribution and loyalty to him (and him alone).
Yeah, not exactly the flex he thinks it is