The DSR Network The Daily Blast: Trump Accidentally Wrecks His Own Case for Tariffs in 3 Crazed Tirades
Jan 26, 2026
Steve Benen, political commentator and MSNBC/MSNOW writer, breaks down how Trump’s tariff push is legally shaky. He traces a pattern of whimsical threats from Davos to Greenland. Short, punchy takes on trade deficits, congressional abdication, and what a Supreme Court green light could signal.
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Public Admissions Undercut Tariff Rationale
- Donald Trump openly admits non-economic motives when setting tariff rates, undermining his legal claim of an emergency.
- Steve Benen argues these public admissions weaken the administration's case before the Supreme Court.
Davos Story: Tariffs And A Rolex
- Trump described hiking Swiss tariffs after a female leader's voice "rubbed him the wrong way" and later cutting them after receiving gifts and flattery.
- This story illustrates how personal whims and tributes influenced tariff decisions, not economic analysis.
Trade Deficit Claim Lacks Legal Basis
- The administration claims authority under a 1977 law by labeling trade deficits an "emergency," which legal experts call nonsensical.
- Steve Benen emphasizes trade deficits are not the type of crisis the statute contemplates and Congress controls tariff power.