The Socialist Program with Brian Becker ‘I Can Destroy The Country’ Trump Lashes Out After Tariffs Rebuked
Feb 25, 2026
Richard Wolff, economist and co-founder of Democracy at Work, offers his take on Trump’s tariff fight. He explains the Supreme Court ruling, why tariffs failed to reshore jobs, and how global partners reacted. Conversation touches on constitutional limits, Republican resistance to tariffs, and the broader shift toward protectionism.
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Tariff Uncertainty Kills Reshoring
- Tariff uncertainty prevents reshoring by making long, expensive factory moves too risky for CEOs.
- CEOs won't invest billions to move production back when tariffs can change weekly, so imports remain dominant.
Tariffs Correlate With Manufacturing Job Losses
- Trump's tariffs coincided with a net loss of manufacturing jobs rather than gains in the year measured.
- From Jan 20, 2025 to Jan 20, 2026 the U.S. lost over 70,000 manufacturing jobs, undermining tariff claims.
Constitution Limits Presidential Tariff Power
- The Constitution assigns taxing power to Congress, limiting unilateral executive tariffs.
- The Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariff law because taxation must originate in the House, restoring legal constraint.