Pain

The Tariff Wars: A Self-Inflicted Wound

Trump’s obsession with tariffs is a prime example of his willingness to hurt others for his own gain. Despite years of economic consensus that tariffs are essentially taxes on consumers, Trump has doubled down on them, slapping hefty levies on goods from China, Canada, and Mexico. The result? Skyrocketing prices on everything from groceries to cars, with the average American household now paying an estimated $2,300 more per year

Small businesses, the backbone of the American economy, are being crushed under the weight of these tariffs. One small business owner, who used to pay $26,000 annually in tariffs, now faces a staggering $346,000 bill—a death sentence for their livelihood.

Trump’s response? Indifference. He’s too busy playing golf at his own resorts and basking in the adulation of his inner circle to care about the devastation he’s causing on Main Street.

Pain as a Political Strategy

Trump’s economic policies aren’t just misguided—they’re malicious. He’s openly admitted that his tariffs will cause pain, calling it “the price that must be paid” to achieve his vision of greatness.

But who’s paying that price? Not Trump, and certainly not his billionaire allies. It’s the average American worker, the small business owner, the single parent struggling to make ends meet.

This isn’t an accident. Trump’s policies are designed to hurt. They’re a feature, not a bug. By creating chaos and suffering, Trump consolidates power, forcing people to look to him as the only one who can fix the problems he created. It’s a classic authoritarian playbook, and Trump is executing it with chilling precision.

The Human Cost

The human cost of Trump’s policies is staggering. Millions of Americans are being pushed to the brink, whether it’s through higher prices, job losses, or cuts to essential programs like Medicaid. Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is set to kick nearly 9 million people off Medicaid, all while giving massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.

And let’s not forget the global impact. Trump’s decision to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development has left children in Yemen starving to death, all because he wanted to save a few dollars on foreign aid.

This is cruelty on a global scale, and Trump wears it like a badge of honor.

Why Does He Do It?

So why does Trump enjoy inflicting pain? Perhaps it’s his deep-seated need for control, his pathological narcissism, or his belief in a zero-sum world where someone else’s suffering is his gain. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: a presidency defined by cruelty, chaos, and a complete disregard for the well-being of others.

The Path Forward

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of Trump’s relentless assault on decency and common sense. But there is hope. Americans are waking up to the reality of his policies and their devastating impact. Democrats, for once, seem to have found a unified message: Trump’s tariffs are a tax on working families, and his policies are designed to hurt the very people he claims to champion.

The question now is whether we, as a nation, will continue to tolerate this cruelty or whether we’ll stand up and demand better. Because make no mistake: Trump enjoys inflicting pain. And if we don’t stop him, he’ll keep doing it.