The Art of the Deal

        Even with the extensive news coverage—and anyone with two brain cells they can rub together telling them — it seems some of the Trump loyalists still do not understand how tariffs actually work. After being spoon fed their talking points by Fox News, which burrow into their brain like a botfly, they regurgitate false equivalencies about past tariffs. Then they pivot to praise the man who has bankrupted the un-bankruptable—not one, not two, but six casinos/hotels—as the logical choice to make sweeping financial decisions for the United States.

        If you haven't seen the details behind Trump's tariff increases, here's a quick rundown—and why it was doomed from the beginning. These were not reciprocal tariffs. They took the trade deficit—which simply means we import more from a country than we export to it—and divided it by two. He thinks he is charging half the rate other countries charge the U.S. exports, when in reality, he is charging them multiple times that. While the incompetence isn't surprising, this should never have seen the light of day. 

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES.

        We saw a sharp crash in the stock market after the announcement. Since then, it has been fluctuating wildly with each Truth Social post by Trump. He goes back and forth—raising and lowering tariffs. Suspending them. Then claiming there will be no suspension. Bumping up percentages after 'retaliatory' tariffs put in place by other countries who dare question his rapist-like rhetoric: I'll do this to you—but don't you dare do anything back. 

        Some have speculated that the constant bouncing up and down, was a tactic to allow his elites to engage in insider trading and market manipulation. While there is no concrete proof of this—it's far from far-fetched. The Truth Social post—"It's a great time to buy stocks"—posted just 30 minutes before announcing the 90 day suspension on tariffs is a big tell. 

        On April 22, 2025, it seems that some advisers—and a few of the U.S.'s largest CEOs who warned of the economic meltdown and the inevitability of bare shelves—finally got through Trump's thick skull. I, for one, can't wait to see how he spins this as his idea, how he's still the big dog in the house, and how Xi came crawling back to him begging to renegotiate. He has stated the tariffs will not be zero, but they will come down substantially. 

        Trump's trade stance with China reads like emotional manipulation in a relationship—he plays the victim, blames the partner, and insists they can't live without him. But the moment they stand up to him, he folds. 

        Even with Trump's recent groveling, China has sent several Boeing 737s back to the United States in direct response to his tariffs. Fifty more planes were due to go to China this year, but as it stands, thats unlikely to happen with the current rate of 145% tariffs imposed by the US and 125% by China. 

        This is not something that will go away anytime soon. Trade relations with the United States will be on the rocks for the foreseeable future—even when (if) Trump leaves office. I don't see prices coming back down after they rise. So my fellow Americans, bend over and take a deep breath. 

        Prepare for the shit show. But remember, in the end, its not just the economy—it's the power plays and manipulation that are setting the stage for the real fallout.

—The 8th