Trump’s plan to tank the Chinese economy

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss President Trump’s massive new escalation in his trade war with China — new tariffs that mean half of all imports from China are now being taxed. They break down how these tariffs will actually affect Americans, Trump’s overall strategy of hurting the Chinese economy, and why this isn’t likely to end well for anyone. On Elsewhere, they chat about the Polish president’s bold new gambit to build a US military base on his soil — and name it Fort Trump. Zack does a Jerry Seinfeld voice, Jenn learns an exciting fact about Jared Kushner’s Amazon search history, and Alex confesses his love for the fashion lobby. References! The statement from the president announcing tariffs. Throughout the episode, we quoted Alex’s reporting; Jenn also referenced Matt Yglesias’s explanation of the trade war. Jenn quoted a guest on Marketplace. To hear the full interview, check out “Tariffs, but make it fashion” from September 17, 2018. Here’s more on how Peter Navarro was hired. This Politico piece digs deeper into Trump’s historical positions on various Asian countries. More details and background on the Fort Trump situation. We discussed Trump’s Saudi Arabia visit and his visit to the Forbidden City. Here’s a former Pentagon official explaining why NATO allies won’t like Trump unilaterally deciding to put a base in Poland. 

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