Shapiro Critiques Trump's Tariff Policies Amid Stock Market Drop

In the wake of significant declines in the stock market spurred by President Trump's tariff policies, not all conservative media figures are aligning themselves with the president's viewpoint. Ben Shapiro, a well-known conservative podcaster and Trump supporter, diverged from the typical narrative by questioning the constitutionality and rationale behind the tariffs, describing them as "pretty crazy" during a recent podcast episode.

Shapiro expressed concern regarding the president's interpretation of international trade, arguing that it is fundamentally mistaken. The podcaster criticized Trump's claims regarding U.S. trade deficits, asserting that trade is beneficial for all parties involved, contrary to the administration's implication that "somebody is getting screwed." He pointed out the absurdity of punishing countries with lower tariff rates and emphasized the need for a more accurate understanding of trade data.

After Trump formally announced his tariffs, the stock market reacted negatively, leading Shapiro to investigate the president's statistics on foreign tariff rates. He found that many of Trump's claims regarding high tariffs from countries like the European Union were either incorrect or misleading. Shapiro noted that the numbers were not correlated to actual tariff rates but rather to fabricated concepts surrounding trade deficits.

Despite the backlash that often follows criticism of Trump within conservative circles, Shapiro received recognition from his audience for voicing his dissenting opinion. He highlighted the situation with Madagascar as particularly ludicrous, questioning the logic behind imposing high tariffs on a nation where the trade deficit amounted to only a few million dollars. He argued that the idea of being exploited by Madagascar was nonsensical.

Shapiro further rebutted the narrative promoted by both Trump's supporters and some Democrats that the economy is failing, explaining that the economic indicators during Biden's administration were far from disastrous. He firmly contended that America's economic status had been stable for decades and that Trump's proposed economic strategies might be more feasible with a manufacturing base similar to that of China, which is unlikely to resonate with the American workforce.

Reflecting on historical context, Shapiro mentioned periods of trade surpluses in America's past, cautioning against longing for such times, as they coincided with the Great Depression—an era that Americans would not want to revisit.