[pschastain]

Or maybe Trump is a sociopath felon with a penchant for young girls who is acting solely in his own self-interest

Given his history of failed businesses and association with a known pedophile, what seems more likely?

[ethbr1]

How are the tariffs even in his own self-interest? Insider trading?

[SpicyLemonZest]

They're in his self-interest because he can, and did, turn around and convince people to bribe him for exemptions and reductions. I recognize this sounds crazy when I say it, but you can literally look up the video - Tim Cook gave him a big block of gold on public TV to get iPhones exempted from tariffs on India.

[GLjEI4YbnGD27LB]

I had thought that tariff revenue goes directly to the executive branch for the president to spend without congressional oversight, but actually this is not correct.

In reality, all federal revenue - whether from income taxes, tariffs, or any other source - flows into the U.S. Treasury and becomes part of the general fund. Tariff money doesn't create a separate pool of funds that the president can spend at will. Just like with tax revenue, any spending of tariff proceeds requires congressional appropriation through the normal budget process. The executive branch cannot spend money that Congress hasn't specifically authorized, regardless of the revenue source.

[vesinisa]

The goal of tariffs is to strengthen your own domestic manufacturing economy. Under high tariff regime, domestic manufacturing gets a pricing advantage over imported goods. The best scenario is if you can get other countries to not place reciprocal tariffs on your goods - meaning foreign companies are disadvantaged in your home market but your companies have uninhibited access to the consumers abroad.

[deanishe]

He collected a literal bar of gold (with some glass stuck in it) from Tim Cook a couple of weeks ago.

[AlecSchueler]

Well too be fair he has a history now of posting when to buy and sell on his social media website before he makes the tariff announcements so it certainly seems that way.