(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
As expected, President Trump imposed new tariffs of 10% on virtually every country while adding so-called reciprocal tariffs to 60 additional countries excluding Canada and Mexico which are already to subject to tariffs in the amount of 25%. Russia, not surprisingly, was spared Trump's indignity.
Trump characterized his announcement as "Liberation Day".
When I think of liberation, I think of V-E Day or V-J Day, not creating a global recession.
After all, consider the portion of his remarks when Trump stated, "For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike."
Given Trump's own troubled history with sexual assault, his use of the word "raped" is ugly, delusional, engages in projection while distorting its meaning beyond recognition.
Without global free trade, the United States would simply not enjoy the prosperity it has had during the decades which Trump claims we were "looted, pillaged, raped and plundered". Even in harder economic times, the United States economy has long been the envy of the world.
But this is Trump we're talking about and, to quote Rick Wilson, "Everything Trump touches dies." In announcing these tariffs, Trump has injected a poison pill into the economy which will do as much damage to the United States as it will the rest of the world.
Alas, this is what happens when we elect a malevolent, sociopathic, convicted felon who not only doesn't care who he harms, but derives pleasure from it.
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