It's stunning that Trump has left the 145% tariffs on China after all the pressure from Walmart, Home Depot etc.

[Quixote1818]

I keep thinking he can't be this stupid and not realize he is going to cause a major recession and see he is making it worse with each passing day as these insane tariffs, or more like an embargo, continue. I expected him to cave last week. I know he is afraid of looking week but this is so destructive to the American economy and so absurd it's mind blowing even for Trump who often caves to pressure and the pressure must be red hot from so many powerful people. Is his plan to just blame the recession on Powell being too slow to lower interest rates and on Biden and think people are going to buy that? On a scale from 1 to 100 of how crazy this is, I give it a 100. This may go down as the dumbest decision ever by a US President. Can anyone think of something more obviously worse as far as obvious broad damage to the US economy? Meanwhile the stock market thinks some obscure statement about China "possibly" being ready to do some talking, means the risk is gone so everything back to normal with 8 straight days of green on the markets. It's like the entire world has gone crazy in not understanding the gravity of what is going on.

I am interested in how long people think Trump might drag this one because I don't think China is going to blink. Is Trump willing to put us in another Great Depression? How do you all see this playing out? I'm seriously getting a bit freaked out that there is no way to stop this madman from driving us off a cliff.

[JoseBalow]

1. He'll hold out until he gets paid, then claim he won something or other

It's all just a shakedown.

[RockRaven]

2. Never grant The Convicted Felon more credit for awareness, knowledge, etc of what is going on

than he explicitly demonstrates in public.

Someone around him might have some specific strategy or plan behind what they are doing, but if he does he certainly hasn't shown it.

[Joinfortmill]

3. My take: Trump had two goals, however unrealistic.

1. Run his scam machine and make as much money as possible
2. Create an economic crisis, declare Martial law and seize power.

[Initech]

4. It's absolutely infuriating that they were all about saving us money.

Then this stupid tariff bullshit and the 1910 talking point appeared out of thin air and it's doing the exact opposite.

Fuck this worthless fucking administration and everyone who still votes for this shit.

[Mopar151]

5. Chins has been a burning bus wreck since COVID.

Multiple sectors are way off, many American customers are re going elsewhere. I've bought Home Cheapo mill work lately from Vietnam.

[Phoenix61]

6. I don't think he has any idea what is going on.

I think he gets a very carefully curated account of how things are going. The only tv news he watches is Fox so he’s not going to see anything there.

[Shipwack]

7. My theory is that even if he knows this,he just doesn't care.

He's full of himself. Wanted to prove to all that he was powerful. He made threats because he believed his own hype and expected everyone to fold.

China called his bluff. He has too much pride to back down, no matter what. He has said that backing down in a fight is literally the same as death. That's why when he does back down, he has to twist things to make himself the winner, no matter how preposterous.

[RainCaster]

8. He IS that stupid

He has an ego that demands an extraordinary amount of praise. Which leaves no time for education since he knows everything.

[Marie Marie]

9. He is just a stubborn old man who KNOWS he fucked up but, since he will never admit

that he was wrong, has no choice but to double down and hope that China will blink before he has to. He really thought that everyone would come to "kiss his ass" and when that didn't happen - he does not know what to do to save face.

[DET]

10. He Is Trying To Destroy Us

Economically, ecologically, psychologically, and physically. Why? I don’t really know - could be orders from Putin, Project 2025, direction from Bannon (create chaos), revenge, enjoyment, insanity…could be anything his sick mind conjures up. There is no other way to explain his actions, especially regarding draconian health related program cuts (Medicaid, SNAP, SS, vaccines, clinical trials, research funding, etc.).

What I don’t understand is why no one is doing anything to stop him. The legal system is too slow to save us before he succeeds, Congress is useless, and the rest of the world just looks on in horror. There has to be some way (legal or otherwise, short of what you are thinking) to end this insanity.

[mn9driver]

11. The solution requires action by the majority party in the House and Senate

And that’s not going to happen, so the country is fucked.