The most beautiful word in the dictionary 📕

In less than 24 hours, Donald Trump looks ready to make good on his post-election pledge to levy 25% tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on all goods from China.

This is making good on a campaign promise in which Trump repeatedly insisted that tariffs work — and that he would use them to extract concessions out of our biggest trading partners.

“Tariff is the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” Trump has said over and over again.

Here’s the thing: The VAST majority of people in this country have NO idea what a tariff is or does. And will be unpleasantly surprised when prices of everyday goods start going up.

(Sidebar: This is a good read on when the tariffs will hit and what products they will effect.)

People are, in fact, decidedly optimistic about the future of the economy under Trump, at least according to new Gallup polling:

But, again, that’s BEFORE a trade war — kicked off by tariffs. Before people realize that the price increases caused by tariffs get passed on to the consumer. Before they learn that you don’t get something for nothing.

The question for Trump is just how committed he is to tariffs — and how long he is willing to keep up a trade war with our three biggest trading partners.

After insisting for months tariffs wouldn’t cause any problems in the U.S., Trump has shifted his rhetoric in recent days. On Truth Social over the weekend, he said this: “THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!).”

How much “pain” will he put up with? And how much “pain” do people who a) voted for him b) have no idea what’s coming in terms of price increases because of these tariffs want to deal with?

This is a rubber-meets-road moment for Trump. Does he swerve today and take an off-ramp? Or does he continue to press the gas pedal down?

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