Catherine Rampell

And nobody wants to do anything about it. If anything, Republicans on the Hill are trying to increase our debt through the coming tax cuts. Yeah. So whatever this kooky theory is not going to happen. Virtually the opposite is likely to.

A few thoughts on this. The AP reported today that, yes, foreign leaders have been calling the White House and no one is answering their calls. And also that they don't even know what to offer Trump. Right. They don't know what concessions he's demanding. And I think that's the problem here.

A few thoughts on this. The AP reported today that, yes, foreign leaders have been calling the White House and no one is answering their calls. And also that they don't even know what to offer Trump. Right. They don't know what concessions he's demanding. And I think that's the problem here.

A few thoughts on this. The AP reported today that, yes, foreign leaders have been calling the White House and no one is answering their calls. And also that they don't even know what to offer Trump. Right. They don't know what concessions he's demanding. And I think that's the problem here.

He does not know what concessions he is demanding or even if he wants concessions, because half of the time he's. he or his underlings say, no, no, no, this isn't for negotiation because we need the revenue, right? We need the tariff revenue to help pay for corporate tax cuts or other, you know, personal income tax cuts or what have you. Getting rid of capital gains, as you mentioned before.

He does not know what concessions he is demanding or even if he wants concessions, because half of the time he's. he or his underlings say, no, no, no, this isn't for negotiation because we need the revenue, right? We need the tariff revenue to help pay for corporate tax cuts or other, you know, personal income tax cuts or what have you. Getting rid of capital gains, as you mentioned before.

He does not know what concessions he is demanding or even if he wants concessions, because half of the time he's. he or his underlings say, no, no, no, this isn't for negotiation because we need the revenue, right? We need the tariff revenue to help pay for corporate tax cuts or other, you know, personal income tax cuts or what have you. Getting rid of capital gains, as you mentioned before.

So they need the revenue. They don't want to negotiate down the tariffs and or they want the tariffs to stay in place because that's the only way to encourage companies to move their manufacturing back to the U.S. Also a flawed premise for different reasons. But in any event, so sometimes they say it's permanent. Sometimes they say it's temporary.

So they need the revenue. They don't want to negotiate down the tariffs and or they want the tariffs to stay in place because that's the only way to encourage companies to move their manufacturing back to the U.S. Also a flawed premise for different reasons. But in any event, so sometimes they say it's permanent. Sometimes they say it's temporary.

So they need the revenue. They don't want to negotiate down the tariffs and or they want the tariffs to stay in place because that's the only way to encourage companies to move their manufacturing back to the U.S. Also a flawed premise for different reasons. But in any event, so sometimes they say it's permanent. Sometimes they say it's temporary.

If it is temporary, if they are negotiable, what is the end game? What is he trying to get out of it? And how do you negotiate with someone who does not know what they want? That is the fundamental problem right here. At one point, members of the administration had said, oh, the goal is to get other countries to lower their tariff rates.

If it is temporary, if they are negotiable, what is the end game? What is he trying to get out of it? And how do you negotiate with someone who does not know what they want? That is the fundamental problem right here. At one point, members of the administration had said, oh, the goal is to get other countries to lower their tariff rates.

If it is temporary, if they are negotiable, what is the end game? What is he trying to get out of it? And how do you negotiate with someone who does not know what they want? That is the fundamental problem right here. At one point, members of the administration had said, oh, the goal is to get other countries to lower their tariff rates.

So then, you know, they'll lower them and then we will lower them as well. And then we'll have freer trade. Right. That was one proposition for how this could go. Sounds nice. But the countries that have offered to have, in fact, 0% tariffs, I think Vietnam may have been one of them, they said, no, we don't want that. So it's like, what do you even give him?

So then, you know, they'll lower them and then we will lower them as well. And then we'll have freer trade. Right. That was one proposition for how this could go. Sounds nice. But the countries that have offered to have, in fact, 0% tariffs, I think Vietnam may have been one of them, they said, no, we don't want that. So it's like, what do you even give him?

So then, you know, they'll lower them and then we will lower them as well. And then we'll have freer trade. Right. That was one proposition for how this could go. Sounds nice. But the countries that have offered to have, in fact, 0% tariffs, I think Vietnam may have been one of them, they said, no, we don't want that. So it's like, what do you even give him?

And this comes back to what I was saying before, what we alluded to before, how do you find an off-ramp? When Trump announced what feels like years ago, but I guess was only a couple of months ago, tariffs on Canada and Mexico, he had some like fig leaf about how this was about immigration and fentanyl.

And this comes back to what I was saying before, what we alluded to before, how do you find an off-ramp? When Trump announced what feels like years ago, but I guess was only a couple of months ago, tariffs on Canada and Mexico, he had some like fig leaf about how this was about immigration and fentanyl.

And this comes back to what I was saying before, what we alluded to before, how do you find an off-ramp? When Trump announced what feels like years ago, but I guess was only a couple of months ago, tariffs on Canada and Mexico, he had some like fig leaf about how this was about immigration and fentanyl.

And it is true that with Mexico, at least, we do have a lot of people coming over the border without permission. We do have fentanyl coming over the border illegally. With Canada, neither of those things appears to be true. In fact, we send more fentanyl to Canada than they send to us, so it seems.