Trump Using Tariffs for Extortion

Donald Trump announced that he's going to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, annoying pretty much everyone except a small minority of nutjobs. 

The stock market has reacted quite negatively. Most Republicans have reacted negatively. All our allies have reacted negatively. Pretty much every economist has blasted the move. So why is Brain-Dead Donald (his new nickname -- everyone is using it!) imposing tariffs?

Trump plans to use the tariffs to extort campaign contributions from companies:

A top trade adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday a process will be in place for businesses to get exemptions from the White House plan to place steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, offering the first indication a tariff hike could be less broad than first thought.

Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council, said countries will not be excluded from the tariffs because that would become a slippery slope, but there will be a mechanism for corporate exemptions in some cases. 

What will that mechanism be? They haven't said. But we can only assume, since this is Donald Trump, that it will involve secret contributions to his presidential campaign and patronizing Trump businesses.

And even though Navarro said that countries will not be exempt, Trump has already said that Canada and Mexico will be exempted if they do what he wants on NAFTA. Which is blatant, naked extortion.

Pretty much everything Trump does as president includes a component that allows him to profit personally.

Trump is the poster boy for corruption.