BBC Quotes Prof. Jennifer Miller on Trump's Understanding of Tariffs

In the late 1980s, Japan provided competition for US manufacturing, particularly in consumer electronics and cars. As US factories were shuttering and new Japanese brands entered the market, pundits were talking about Japan surpassing the US as the world's leading economy.

"Trump is sort of symbolic of a lot of people who were kind of questioning American leadership in the American-led international order, and whether it actually served the United States," Professor Miller stated, citing a 80s-era advertisement Trump launched in support of foreign tariffs, which read: "There's nothing wrong with America's Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone can't cure."

The ad served as a potent introduction to Trump's foreign policy vision, according to Prof Miller. One built on the zero-sum belief that allies are freeloaders and that the liberal internationalist approach which had dominated since World War II was weak and foolish in a competitive world. The solution, he argued, was a more aggressive, protectionist trade policy.

Trump is drawn to shows of power and pressure, explained Prof. Miller: "I think that's one reason he likes tariffs so much, is they fit not only with his transactional ideology but his sense of himself, which is very deeply rooted as this successful dealmaker. And the fact that tariffs can be threatened; they can be dangled over another country."

Read the full story:
"Nada Tawfik. How Japan sparked Trump's 40-year love affair with tariffs. BBC.com. February 9, 2025. Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp5pw654lo.