Economics
Trump Barrels Into Uncharted Waters With Tariffs as Weapon
- Threat of trade sanctions extends to Trump immigration policy
- Congress would need veto-proof majority to overrule Trump
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President Donald Trump is taking the weaponization of tariffs to new extremes, testing the will of Congress to block the president’s use of a tool reserved for a national crisis and possibly provoking a legal battle.
In threatening Mexico with tariffs to force better border security, Trump is deploying potential levies to achieve policies that have nothing to do with economics or trade. The president has repeatedly brandished the threat of trade sanctions as leverage to negotiate deals with other countries, and he has proclaimed himself a proud "Tariff Man.”