Trump on Trade: Two-Way or No Way

Free trade is not an idol to be worshiped but a practical outcome to be pursued.

by Rod D. Martin
June 8, 2019

Republicans have long been the party of Free Trade. Donald Trump — and a growing number of working class Americans — ask whether the trade we have is really free. It’s a fair question.

The AP ran a story yesterday entitled “Free traders no more? GOP warms up to Trump’s use of tariffs”. It’s worth reading but it missed the point.

I've been saying this for over two years now: a businessman like Donald Trump, with companies across the world, doesn't want tariffs. He wants free trade. 

But he's not willing to let the world pee on his leg and tell him it's raining.

The RINOs (and some Libertarians) who attack Trump's use of tariffs (1) couldn't negotiate their way out of a paper bag (as they've demonstrated all too painfully for the last quarter century), and (2) completely miss Trump's point: that access to America's markets is an overwhelming benefit to others and strength to us which, used correctly, can reduce other countries' trade barriers (tariffs, IP theft, …