Ana Swanson

A lot of that is made possible by this China price, by Chinese factories making cheap goods. But there were definitely a lot of downsides as well. So you have a lot of US factories going out of business because they can no longer compete with the cheap prices that Chinese firms are offering. And you have millions of US manufacturing jobs that were destroyed.

A lot of that is made possible by this China price, by Chinese factories making cheap goods. But there were definitely a lot of downsides as well. So you have a lot of US factories going out of business because they can no longer compete with the cheap prices that Chinese firms are offering. And you have millions of US manufacturing jobs that were destroyed.

in that process, economists have found. And I don't think they anticipated just how hard the people on the losing end would be hit. There was this assumption that people who lost their jobs to trade could be helped to move to find other jobs or go through retraining programs that would give them even better jobs in this new economy.

in that process, economists have found. And I don't think they anticipated just how hard the people on the losing end would be hit. There was this assumption that people who lost their jobs to trade could be helped to move to find other jobs or go through retraining programs that would give them even better jobs in this new economy.

And they didn't anticipate, I think, that this transition was a lot more disruptive and painful. And the pain was really localized and vivid and sharp, particularly in the industrial Northeast and Midwest, where people now are really hurting because they don't have factory employment anymore. And economists have found that then other problems follow, like drug addiction.

And they didn't anticipate, I think, that this transition was a lot more disruptive and painful. And the pain was really localized and vivid and sharp, particularly in the industrial Northeast and Midwest, where people now are really hurting because they don't have factory employment anymore. And economists have found that then other problems follow, like drug addiction.

And these are all things that Peter Navarro was focused on, too, actually.

And these are all things that Peter Navarro was focused on, too, actually.

So Trump at this point has been complaining about China and its trade practices for a really long time.

So Trump at this point has been complaining about China and its trade practices for a really long time.

At one point, Trump is asked by the L.A. Times, what are some of your favorite books on China?

At one point, Trump is asked by the L.A. Times, what are some of your favorite books on China?

And he mentions one of Peter Navarro's books. So they start corresponding and... One thing led to another. Ultimately, then candidate Trump decides to bring Navarro on to his campaign.

And he mentions one of Peter Navarro's books. So they start corresponding and... One thing led to another. Ultimately, then candidate Trump decides to bring Navarro on to his campaign.

Trump wins the presidency, and Navarro is given a job in the administration working on trade policy. But he's still kind of an outsider. There are a lot of other more influential advisors in the administration at that point who are opposed to the idea of imposing broad tariffs. on foreign products.

Trump wins the presidency, and Navarro is given a job in the administration working on trade policy. But he's still kind of an outsider. There are a lot of other more influential advisors in the administration at that point who are opposed to the idea of imposing broad tariffs. on foreign products.

And so you come to a point where, you know, most of the other advisors are saying to president Trump, we can't do that. You know, we shouldn't impose tariffs.

And so you come to a point where, you know, most of the other advisors are saying to president Trump, we can't do that. You know, we shouldn't impose tariffs.

And Navarro prevails. And he helps to draft tariffs on China and on steel and aluminum from countries around the world.

And Navarro prevails. And he helps to draft tariffs on China and on steel and aluminum from countries around the world.