Josh Rogin
“What Trump is doing is he's instituting a worldwide trade extortion scheme. The tariffs are not about any particular outcome. They're about going to each country and saying, ‘Hey, nice country you got there. Would be a shame if something happened to it.’ And what he's seeking from each of these countries is submission. He wants them to submit their economic Independence and sovereignty to him.” “And of course, the effect that that has in those countries is the opposite of what he wants. It puts the incentive to all of the politicians in Canada to oppose him, because if they do submit, they'd be thrown out of office right away. So what he's done is he's ensured the failure of his own policy and in doing so, ensured that the retaliation will come.” “Now, while it's true that Canada will suffer more than the Americans, it's also true that the Canadians are so pissed off at us right now - 80% of Canadians are against the United States, for the first time in living memory - that they're willing to suffer more for the point of maintaining their sovereignty and standing up to Trump. And that's not the case in Michigan. That's not the case in Maine. People in America are not a fan of these trade wars. They’re not on board with Trump’s strategy.” “So there will be political consequences, not for Trump, because he is not running, but for Republicans. But it's pretty clear that Trump doesn't care about that.”