"Trump's Tariffs Are A Shakedown"

Trump’s foreign policy isn’t strategy; it’s a business hustle. Behind every tariff and truce lies a profit motive, personal agenda, and dangerous global consequence.

Let me set one thing straight for you: Donald Trump never gave a damn about geopolitics. He doesn’t read briefing memos. He doesn’t care about strategic alliances. And when someone in the Situation Room starts talking about global order or multilateral frameworks, his eyes glaze over like a kid forced to sit through algebra class. No; Trump’s version of diplomacy was, and always will be, about one thing: the art of the deal. And by “deal,” I mean his deals.

So when Trump hit pause on those tariffs with China; rolling them back for 90 days in what he and his enablers are calling a "brilliant economic strategy", it wasn't because he suddenly discovered nuance in international trade theory. It was because the markets punched him in the mouth. That’s how he operates: not from a position of principle or policy, but panic. Wall Street reacted, more like tanked, and Trump folded faster than Trump Mortgage.

Understand, the tariffs were never really about American jobs or protecting the Midwest. They were about leverage; his favorite tool. And to Trump, leverage is what you use when you're trying to force someone to buy a condo in a half-empty building in Fort Lauderdale, or invest in a golf resort in Ireland that bleeds cash like a Vegas poker table. He brought that same Trump Org. playbook to the White House, thinking he could bully Beijing like he bullied subcontractors in Atlantic City.

And for a while, he tried. He threw tariffs around like they were poker chips; on China, Europe, even freaking Canada. Who the hell tariffs Canada? It was performative strongman cosplay for his base and Fox News, not real economic strategy. Because Trump doesn’t think in national interest; he thinks in net worth.

Let’s not pretend this sudden "90-day pause" is some grand pivot. It's desperation. The markets tanked. Agricultural states started groaning louder than usual. Even MAGA hat factories (yes, they're real; and mostly in China, by the way) started feeling the pinch. So, in typical Trump fashion, he ran back to the negotiating table with zero shame and a fresh set of empty promises. Call it what you want; strategic pause, tariff truce, economic rebalancing. I call it what it is: a slapdash course correction from a man whose instincts are rooted not in governance, but in grift.

And speaking of grift, let’s talk about the elephant; or should I say, the golden elephant in the room: Trump's foreign entanglements. Because when Trump plays tough guy with China, it's not just about soybeans or semiconductors. It's about how much leverage he has left on the global stage before someone shines a light on his empire of golf courses, hotels, and shady licensing deals.

Remember: this is a man who refused to, and still refuses to divest from the Trump Organization while in office. Foreign dignitaries checked into his hotels like they were paying tribute to a mafia don. Meanwhile, Jared Kushner; Trump's son-in-law and Middle East whisperer was cozying up to Saudi royals and somehow walked away with a $2 billion investment for his post-White House fund. Coincidence? Please. I worked for this guy for over a decade. There are no coincidences.

In Trump’s world, diplomacy is a means to a business end. The Saudis kill a journalist? Trump shrugs; arms deals, hotel deals, and real estate promises keep the outrage at bay. China locks up dissidents and threatens Taiwan? Who cares; so long as Ivanka’s trademarks go through. These aren't policy decisions. They're ledger entries.

So when I see Trump playing hardball with Xi Jinping one minute, and then offering a 90-day tariff timeout the next, I don’t see a statesman. I see a business owner trying to renegotiate his debt terms with a loan shark.

And now, Trump is slapping tariffs on everything that moves. He calls it “economic nationalism.” I call it economic narcissism. Because the endgame isn’t a stronger America. It’s a richer Trump. And if that means destabilizing global trade, alienating allies, or handing China the geopolitical high ground just to score a quick market bounce because of a correction or pause, so be it.

This isn’t foreign policy. It’s a garage sale of American credibility; and in Trump’s world, everything’s got a price tag.

The tragedy? Millions of Americans still buy the act. They think he’s fighting for them. But I watched him up close, every day, for over a decade. He’s not fighting for them. He’s fighting for himself. And if that means using tariffs like a toddler throws tantrums; loud, messy, and ultimately pointless, then that’s exactly what he’ll do. No; that’s exactly what he’s doing!

And the rest of us? We're just collateral damage in his never-ending charade.

PERSONAL NOTE: I CAN’T DO THIS ALONE.

If you’re reading this, it means you care. You care about truth. About justice. About saving our democracy from the grip of grifters, liars, and power-hungry con men. But let’s be real; I can’t carry this weight on my own.

I’m asking, no, urging you, my loyal Substack readers, to help grow this platform into a force they can’t ignore. We’re not building a newsletter; we’re building a movement. One loud enough, sharp enough, and relentless enough to push back against the lies and hold the corrupt to account.

Now more than ever, independent journalism needs you. Your support keeps this alive; not corporate sponsors, not shady billionaires with agendas. You.

And yes; as a personal thank you, the first 240 Founding Members will receive a rare, signed, numbered Substack edition of my New York Times bestseller, Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the U.S. Department of Justice Against His Critics. A collector’s item, and a statement.

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So here’s what you can do:
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Do your part. Stand up. Speak out. The time is now; and together, we will be heard.