Editorial Board

Oh! What a Lovely Trade War

Trump makes strange claims all the time. But his latest deserves special recognition.

March 2, 2018 at 6:40 PM UTC

By The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

Trade wartime president.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images

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It's always dangerous to say that Donald Trump has set a new low for presidential discourse, because he sets new lows with dreary regularity. Nonetheless, his heedless declaration that "trade wars are good, and easy to win" deserves special recognition.

No president should need to be told that trade wars are, in fact, bad and impossible to win. By imposing new tariffs on steel and aluminum, Trump has embarked on a policy that is a clear and present danger to U.S. jobs and living standards.