this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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politics

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Summary

Critics slammed Trump for admitting his tariffs may cause “short-term pain” for Americans, contradicting past promises that they wouldn’t raise consumer prices.

During his campaign, Trump insisted tariffs would only hurt foreign nations, not U.S. families. He also vowed to lower costs for essentials like groceries and utilities.

Now, he acknowledges economic hardship but claims it’s necessary to fix trade imbalances.

His remarks sparked backlash, with many accusing him of downplaying the financial strain his policies could impose on millions.

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[–] [email protected] 178 points 6 days ago (1 children)

He signed the current trade deals with Canada and Mexico just a few years ago and now calls them imbalanced.

[–] something_random_tho 83 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 34 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The Art of No One Trusts What I Sign

[–] frunch 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The sharpie is mightier than the pen

[–] AbidanYre 7 points 6 days ago

How does that sharpie stack up against a hurricane?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] CharlesDarwin 3 points 5 days ago

The Shart of the Steal

[–] Treczoks 97 points 6 days ago (2 children)

During his campaign, Trump insisted tariffs would only hurt foreign nations

And anyone believing this shit must be dumb as a rock. Just like Trump himself.

[–] CharlesDarwin 28 points 5 days ago (1 children)

And anyone believing this shit must be dumb as a rock. Just like Trump himself.

In other words, the ~28% or so that forms the unshakeable base.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

No source but I remember musk saying that the tariff change would require a rough transition that Americans would need to go through to get to good times or whatever.

I though that that was to prepare their base to the actual shitstorm and to them promise them the good times or whatever.

Is this PR comment forever gone now that they are in power?

[–] HappySkullsplitter 102 points 6 days ago
[–] [email protected] 73 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Rather sporty of him not to blame Biden this time. Or did his dementia make him forget about Sleepy Joe?

[–] tburkhol 40 points 6 days ago

It's implicit. Biden is the one who invited all 25 million undocumented gang members into the country. Biden is the one who failed to renegotiate the 45th President's disastrous Cal-Mex trade agreement. Trump's bold new policies will fix decades of Democrat evil - you've made him hurt you. You deserve this, until you learn to behave.

Straight out of the domestic abuse handbook.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 5 days ago (1 children)

"Downplaying the financial strain his policies could impose" translates as "lying". He knew perfectly well what would happen. He also knew that if he told the truth about it he was unlikely to be elected. So he lied. That pretty well describes his entire campaign.

What worries me is that Trump no longer has any reason to care what people think. He doesn't need their votes or their support. And while people keep talking about how he wants to be loved, I don't think that's true. He wants to be important to people, but he can achieve that through fear and intimidation too. Which is what he's doing now.

At this point I don't expect any elected Republicans to stand up to him. Those who had a conscience have been driven out or have put it in storage for the duration. Sadly, our greatest hope is that the ultra-wealthy who financed this mess may turn on him and put pressure on the legislators they own to do something about it.

[–] Dragomus 20 points 5 days ago

He WANTS to be a despot ... he eagerly looks at, admires and wishes to count himself amongst worldly despots like Putin, Maduro, the Saudi kings and even the younger Kim Yong Un.

He does not aspire to be a benevolent leader at all, I don't think he even can be one. To be important is indeed what he wants, but it is the importance in the form of keeping him happy or he'll give you misery.

He also has done nothing but spout lies and easy grifts for decades now, and if caught he'd be as vindictive as possible to instill fear and hesitation on any who would oppose him. So, swift opposition from within his ranks is not going to happen soon.

The ultra rich might turn on him if he torches the economy, but they do know he now has the power to take away their assets if push comes to shove...

[–] just_another_person 55 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Time for those right-wing nuts to start that Civil War they've been promoting, right? You're going to go and overthrow Trump now because he fucked you over, RIGHT????

[–] [email protected] 41 points 6 days ago (2 children)

"we need all these guns to stop hitler" they said

[–] kreskin 13 points 5 days ago

by "hitler" they meant women who wont have sex with them, people who wont employ them, and anyone who looks down on them.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

And I have the feeling that those of us who never owned defensive armaments will start getting flagged pretty quick for not owning any in the past.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The nice thing about this bullshit is that when the tariffs come down, there's still going to be a lot of resentment in Canada and Mexico.

Don't think that just because Trump reverses himself, declares victory, and drops the tariffs (like he did with Mexico), that Canadians are suddenly going to go right back to buying American products. His stunt is going to cause long-term pain for American companies trying to sell goods in Canada and Mexico.

[–] Mpatch 2 points 5 days ago

Lol heinz had to build a new plant in Canada to try to recover after their lemington disaster. And still they are struggling to return back sales numbers.

[–] 46_and_2 35 points 5 days ago (1 children)

"Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make." ~ Lard Fuckwad

[–] BradleyUffner 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

"Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I ~~am willing~~ will gleefully make." ~ Lard Fuckwad

Fixed it for you.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 days ago (2 children)

“We’re going to change it. It’s been unfair,” he said.

A grown adult talking about unfair. Believing in fairytales.

[–] Soup 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Like all conservatives say when some expresses frustration over being objectively exploited, I have this to say to them:

“Sorry bucko, life’s not fair.”

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

“Fairness? That sounds like some DEI nonsense, I thought you didn’t like that stuff?”

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's not unreasonable to want a contract to be fair. In a proper contract, both sides benefit.

What's childish is that he apparently doesn't know the first thing about the effect tariffs have, and what a trade balance means.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

“Yes well, short term pain = long term cheap eggs” - Average MAGA moron right now, still not able to afford eggs

[–] CharlesDarwin 10 points 5 days ago

Just as long as they don't have to hear about a black lady being Presidential. Anything but that.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

The measures will be equally painful for prices, if not more so. Eventually the prices will acquiesce and lower themselves.

[–] preludeofme 2 points 5 days ago

But they sure got that latest trump 2028 merch 🙄

[–] [email protected] 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Does that mean he gets his head chopped off next?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Gonna have to do a robespierre to get all the rot.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

chop chop chop chop chop chop chop

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

He wants an irrational populace. Fear and anger are really easy ways to do this. If half the voting population didn't vote for him, that's far too many that are still thinking clearly enough to oppose him.

We're do for a night of the long knives (which if I had to guess will happen over time rather than in one night). While removing the protections of immigrants, LGBTQ+, physically and mentally disabled, Muslims, Jews, anyone left of the party, he'll enact policies that cause rapid growth in the homeless. Once this starts getting "out of control" he'll open up "altruistic" opportunities getting them shelter and care in "work camps" (aka prison labor/concentration camps). Throw in a false flag that is done by "Ukrainian Extremists" in response to the US halting aid, and now you start to build a voluntary military larger than ever possible.

It all only works if people are angry, in fear, or suffering.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

I hate my native tongue.

At least I spelled the wrong word that sounds identical correctly!

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 days ago (2 children)

It's only a "Let them eat cake" moment if it leads to some actual fucking consequences finally.

[–] Pilferjinx 6 points 5 days ago

As long as they can afford 1 egg, just enough to not starve to death, then nothing is going to happen.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What's the metric again? 9 meals between civilization and anarchy?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

I wish we were 9 meals aways from being that cool.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 days ago
[–] GlendatheGayWitch 8 points 5 days ago

Reminds me of Margaret Thatcher in The Crown insusting that her regressive economic policies was medicine and that the interim pain was temporary.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 days ago

Usually I'd take this moment to call Trump an idiot, but he knew about this. It's his supporters that are the idiots for being naive enough to think he wouldn't lie about this.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I think we need a good browser addin that substitutes "licks" whenever someone uses "slams" on a website. also slam->lick slammed -> licked etc. Let's make america lick again.

I would prefer violence to this kind of thing for those responsible for injecting aggressive language into news headlines and articles, but I guess people frown upon that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

I remember when "the cloud" was the AI of its time, being used everywhere and everything as a buzz word, someone released a browser addon called cloud-to-butt that replaced the word cloud with butt. Mild side effect of making weather forecasts concerning. I'm sure the code could be changed!

[–] snekerpimp 4 points 6 days ago

Not enough backlash

[–] cultsuperstar 2 points 5 days ago

Musk said this a day before the election. They knew it was going to happen. His voters didn't care.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

I'm sure it will only be as painful as a "2-week special economic operation"...

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