U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The use of economic tariffs to promote fairer trade and better outcomes for workers, consumers and the environment is not a new or bad idea.

In a world in which some countries rely on slave labor and treat the earth’s air and water like a garbage dump, thoughtfully designed and implemented tariffs can be a useful policy option.

Unfortunately, President Trump has been doing no such thing. Instead, he’s imposing tariffs in a chaotic and likely unlawful way based on little more than his daily whims.

And the outcomes have been disastrous.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis is typical of the Republican politicians who could help but lack the guts to do so. He’s co-sponsored a bill rein in Trump, but as he well knows it has no chance. Once again, his mission is to seem rather than to be.

The bottom line: Trump’s half-baked tariffs are wreaking economic havoc for millions of Americans and lining the pockets of his billionaire pals. And so long as politicians like Senator Tillis continue to enable him, the chaos will continue.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.