Comment by philipallstar

Yes but tariffs were a long-term strategic tool. Not a bullying tactic for someone who woke up the wrong way.

> There are tariffs everywhere, all the time.

This neglects the scale, cost, and unpredictability. His tariffs are far from being the usual seen elsewhere. Of course, you should already understand this.

Knife: Surgeon. Slasher.

Results are not the same.

Otoh, tarrifs as a foreign policy / coercion method disconnected from trade and local economy impacts definitely is a new thing.

Sure, it might have been used as a delicate lever previously but in its current brazen form is just bad diplomacy.

Blanket tariffs used as blackmail is obviously different.

This is incredibly disingenuous.

> Tariffs haven't just started happening because someone you don't like did them

Nobody said they have, throwing ridiculously high ones with your allies and trading partners is new though.