Trump Trade War is dumb for the country. Not for him. He is creating a crisis to solve

He had solved it before

The Wall Street Journal branded Donald Trump's tariffs as the "dumbest trade war ever," arguing there was no valid reason for them. Even Republican Senator Rand Paul joined in, saying tariffs are taxes.

What’s truly astonishing is how oblivious Trump’s own team seems to his strategy. The confusion arises when people conflate Trump’s personal goals with the nation’s broader interests. But the moment you separate the two—asking what Trump wants versus what the country needs—the real answer becomes obvious.

The evidence is clear if you examine Donald Trump’s first term. Between January and October of 2018—his first midterm election year—Trump ramped up tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada, and the EU.

He marketed the trade war aggressively during the midterms, but it didn’t help him break historical trends or retain the House in 2018. The first signs of backing off from the trade war came quickly: just 24 days after the midterms.