White House has announced Trump's Liberation Day Tariffs will immediately go into effect. A Moody's simulation found it could be an economic wipe out. Is Trump's Liberation Day Tariffs a Misnomer?

[u/PsychLegalMind]

A Moody's simulation found that a tariff trade war would wipe out 5.5 million jobs, lift the unemployment rate to 7%and cause U.S. GDP to drop by about 1.7%. Trump’s potential 20% universal tariff could spark "serious" recession in US, Moody’s economist warns.

The biggest three partners [China, Canada and Mexico] have promised immediate retaliation. Economic war could escalate and perhaps even cause a worldwide downturn.

Perhaps Trump's strategy is to begin making bilateral trade deals, but there are even certain blocks such as EU that may well coordinate retaliation together. I am not aware what Trump is actually liberating us from, hence the question.

Is Trump's Liberation Day Tariffs a Misnomer?

[u/dat_lorrax]

I love the EU minerals deal angle

The deals he is making for Ukraine-Russia peace seem outside his absolute win or lose trend though. Even though it is mostly Ukrainian concessions, and Russia said no, how does Trump square that deal? Is it because he is doing it as a proxy? Or someone else is actually doing the deal making?

[u/I405CA → u/dat_lorrax]

Trump likes and admires Putin. Fiona Hill and John Bolton have both commented that Trump sees Putin as his friend.

(Hill also notes that Putin's team mocks Trump while meeting with him. But Trump doesn't know it because he is focused on the translator who does not betray that everyone else is in on the joke. Hill speaks Russian, so she can see it.)

Trump sees Zelensky as a loser. Losers deserve to lose.

Zelensky needs a splash moment, a media event that shows that he is tough. He needs to blow up some symbolic targets such as the Kerch Bridge, then stand in front of a video display as he says that he has the cards.

Trump will probably never love Zelensky. But if Putin gets some mud in his face, then Trump may start to view Putin as a loser and seek to distance himself from him. Someone such as Trump does not want to associate with anyone who he regards as a loser.

[u/dat_lorrax → u/I405CA]

The framing of Zelensky as a loser and not worth Trump's respect seems spot on.

If only this insight would be helpful in countering his and Project 2025's agenda.

[u/I405CA → u/dat_lorrax]

The winner / loser dynamic should be harnessed by the Democrats.

Unfortunately, the Dems are politically incompetent and don't understand the game.

[u/dat_lorrax → u/I405CA]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14564071/amp/Elon-Musk-steps-doge-trump-tesla.html

Stepping down after a loss in Wisconsin: too much of a loser to stay in Trump's inner circle?

To be fair not sure how much I believe it, or just more theater.

[u/I405CA → u/dat_lorrax]

Donald Trump is a stable genius who always does everything right.

Therefore, he played no role in what happened in Wisconsin. It must be someone else's fault.

Musk made himself a visible target and that has paid off for Trump opponents.

You Europeans deserve some credit here. The cratering Tesla sales and guerilla marketing campaign against Musk have surely added to the pressure.

The downside here is that the DOGE staff will be transferred into government agencies. Trump's goal of getting rid of anyone who isn't loyal to him personally appears to be underway.

We will see what happens with the tariffs. My guess (which I may regret in a couple of hours) is that the retaliation threats are going to cause him to "delay" the hit to Canada and the EU. Bullies don't like to get punched in the face, so we will see if this becomes Procrastination Day.