It's Trump's Economy Now
The Reason Roundtable
Tariff Tensions: The Uncertainty Dilemma
This chapter examines the bewildering impact of tariffs under Trump’s administration on American car manufacturers and the broader economy. The speakers humorously compare Trump’s tariff strategies to a tech support reboot, while unpacking the confusion and distrust generated among global leaders. Ultimately, the discussion critiques the inconsistency of tariff policies and their long-term implications for international relations and economic stability.
In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the frantic uncertainty in the economy due to President Donald Trump's various tariff policies and trade war antics.
03:22—Trump's tariff uncertainty
26:15—Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) check-in
38:35—Weekly listener question
49:01—Five years since COVID-19
56:12—This week's cultural recommendations
Mentioned in this podcast:
"Trump's Trade War With America's Neighbors Is All Cost and No Benefit," by Eric Boehm
"In Speech to Congress, Trump Promises More Tariff Madness," by Eric Boehm
"Trump Loves Tariffs. Fentanyl Is Just an Excuse." by Joe Lancaster
"Tariffs Are In Effect. Expect Everything To Become More Expensive." by Jeff Luse
"How the Looming 'Fiscal Cliff' Is Killing the Economy," Nick Gillespie
"How Would Milton Friedman Do DOGE?" by Veronique de Rugy
"Yes, Cutting Government Waste Is Important," by Veronique de Rugy
"No, HHS Didn't Spend $8 Million 'Making Mice Transgender,'" by Joe Lancaster
"Contrary to What Trump Said, Even DOGE Does Not Claim To Have Identified 'Hundreds of Billions' in Fraud," by Jacob Sullum
"Dead People Aren't Bankrupting Us," by Liz Wolfe
"DOGE and Congress Should Take a Chainsaw to Corporate Welfare," by J.D. Tuccille
"Hey DOGE: If You Want To Make Yourself Useful, Kill the Federal Energy Loan Program," by Jeff Luse
"The Myth of Homeownership Wealth Creation," by Anthony Randazzo
"Jay Bhattacharya's Confirmation Hearing Proves the Lockdown Skeptics Won," by Christian Britschgi
"The Great COVID Rupture," by Matt Welch
"Two Years To Slow the Spread," by Matt Welch
"I Can't Quit New York," by Matt Welch
"We Will Regret Not Taking the Economic Effects of Mass Quarantine More Seriously," Nick Gillespie
"How the Coronavirus Might Kickstart the 21st Century," Nick Gillespie
"Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties," Tom O'Neill with Dan Piepenbring
"Shipwrecks, Treasure and Cannon Fire-The True Story of an American Privateer," by Nick Gillespie and Meredith Bragg
Reason Speakeasy: Is Satire Still Possible? March 20, New York City
Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.
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Audio production by Ian Keyser
Assistant production by Hunt Beaty
Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve
- Video Editor: Ian Keyser
- Producer: Hunt Beaty
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