Australia’s chances of escaping America’s global steel and aluminium tariffs appear all but extinguished, with the US president reconfirming his commitment to a comprehensive tariff regime he argues will be “the greatest thing we’ve ever done as a country”.
“We’re going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we’re going to become so rich, you’re not going to know where to spend all that money,” Donald Trump told reporters on board Air Force One flying from Florida to Washington DC.
“We’re basically going to take back the money – a lot of the money that we’ve given away over many decades.”
Yup. And they’re something he controlls, so when a company or country wants to get an exemption to his tarrifs so they can be more competitive they need to grovel.
It’s an extortion racket, mixed with a poor tax, mixed with insider trading. Honestly as far as Trump grifts go, this one is pretty impressive. Just don’t know how long he’ll get away with it before his followers start to feel the pain.