evidence: Tariffs were critical to Trump’s first administration, especially as he renegotiated the NAFTA agreement with Mexico and Canada. But economists at places like the CATO Institute concluded that tariffs cost taxpayers anywhere from $50 to $80 billion in higher prices. "American consumers (both firms and individuals), not foreigners, paid for — and continue to pay for — the tariffs," the experts wrote. [...] This is a case of Hobson’s choice: Keep some manufacturing jobs in your community, but face higher prices, lower productivity, and retaliation from other countries. After all, one tariff begets another, and the costs pile up. But the political gains are real, so protectionism is on the march again. [...] But Vance has gone further, arguing that tariffs in principle are a net economic gain. A tariff "causes this dynamic effect where more jobs come into the country," Vance recently said on "Meet the Press." You have more take-home pay, you have better jobs," he added.