DAalseth

Afarstar said:

To think this utter madman also has his finger on the nuclear button. He’s out of control but none of his team can do anything about it. Bit like Putin. 

foregoneconclusion said:

Trump doesn't really have the power to levy tariffs. His "economic emergency" declaration per the IEEPA is completely bogus. He used trade agreements negotiated with China, Mexico/Canada by his own administration in his first term as the excuse for the emergency. He is on record praising those trade agreements when they were made. And if you read the powers given to the president by the IEEPA, levying tariffs is not included. It is not intended to give the president power over domestic commerce. See below...

"IEEPA, as currently amended, empowers the president to

(A) investigate, regulate, or prohibit: 

(i) any transactions in foreign exchange, 

(ii) transfers of credit or payments between, by, through, or to any banking institution, to the extent that such transfers or payments involve any interest of any foreign country or national thereof, 

(iii) the importing or exporting of currencies or securities; and

(B) investigate, block during the pendency of an investigation, regulate, direct and compel, nullify, void, prevent or prohibit, any acquisition, holding, withholding, use, transfer, withdrawal, transportation, importation or exportation of, or dealing in, or exercising any right, power, or privilege with respect to, or transactions involving, any property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has any interest by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(C) when the United States is engaged in armed hostilities or has been attacked by a foreign country or foreign nationals, confiscate any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, of any foreign person, foreign organization, or foreign country that he determines has planned, authorized, aided, or engaged in such hostilities or attacks against the United States; and all right, title, and interest in any property so confiscated shall vest, when, as, and upon the terms directed by the President, in such agency or person as the President may designate from time to time, and upon such terms and conditions as the President may prescribe, such interest or property shall be held, used, administered, liquidated, sold, or otherwise dealt with in the interest of and for the benefit of the United States, and such designated agency or person may perform any and all acts incident to the accomplishment or furtherance of these purposes."

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618

Historical fact: no other president has ever used the IEEPA to levy tariffs.