> Many Republican elites believe that Trump either doesn’t mean it when he presents tariffs as an economic cure-all or that they can talk him out of it after the election. But Trump would have unilateral power to impose tariffs through executive action; he does not need Congress. And the idea that a lifelong megalomaniac who lacks a basic understanding of government will somehow become amenable to reason is, at best, optimistic.

The 2016-2020 amnesia is infuriating. There were so many people who were billed as moderating influences on trump, and they all ran out screaming. Of course he’ll just do what he wants - when it doesn’t work he’ll blame communists and single mothers or whatever.