From Washington Post:

President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff-driven reversal of decades of free trade is creating financial chaos for the very sector it’s meant to rebuild: American manufacturing.

Although the full extent of economic damage is still unclear, volatile tariff policies are making it tougher for American companies to make and sell goods, whether they’re producing medical devices in Florida, toys in Ohio or bicycles in California.

Inquiring minds wanted to know: Is Trump up to the challenge of wrecking the economy during the first hundred days of his second term as president?

Of course he is. The stable genius who went bankrupt six times as a businessman has reached a new level of incompetence by starting a trade war to “make America great again” and punish the rest of the world for “ripping us off.”

I read the latest tariff news and said, “Who could have predicted such a mess? What do you think, Swamp Rabbit?”

My swampy friend reminded me that almost every forecaster who isn’t a Trump lackey tried to warn Trump away from imposing new tariffs, which are crucial to his doomed effort to boost domestic manufacturing and re-establish the mid-20th century American economy. Our vindictive little Caesar ignored them; he was determined to hurt countries with which we have a trade deficit — not only China but also our long-time allies — even though they were sure to impose tariffs that would hurt us almost as badly.

The tariffs on our allies go up and down, according to Trump’s whims. Consumers are making panicky moves to stay ahead of market fluctuations that are triggering renewed inflation. Swamp Rabbit was at the liquor store yesterday stocking up on Jameson’s Irish whiskey. His probation officer, Victor Cortez, was at the local beer distributor loading his truck with cases of his favorite, Canadian-made Moosehead.

“Yes, but how much long-term damage can Trump do?” I said.

Swamp Rabbit poured himself a shot and said, “Them economists are saying chances of a recession in the next year are almost 50-50 and getting worse, thanks to the tariffs fiasco. And there’s always the chance that Trump will do something so dumb it will cause a total market meltdown. Think Black Friday, 1929.”

“Oh no!” I said. “Financial experts like you will be diving from the fourteenth floor.”

“I live in a one-story shack, remember? I’ll have to think of another way out.”