Trump’s Tariff Plan Is Built On Ignorance, Will Harm U.S. Households, Says Journalist David Cay

Pulitzer-winning journalist David Cay Johnston delivers a scathing critique of Donald Trump’s latest tariff plan, warning it could blow up the world trade order. Johnston explains that Trump fundamentally misunderstands tariffs — exporters don’t pay them, consumers do. He accuses Trump of enriching U.S. manufacturers at the expense of American households by allowing domestic firms to raise prices just below tariffed imports. Johnston also points out that Trump lacks the legal authority to impose tariffs unilaterally, which lies with the U.S. Congress. If this continues, he warns, countries like the EU, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and New Zealand might form a new trade bloc — excluding the United States entirely.