The fallacy is the assumption that surely one of these guys must be smart

Thing is, he might actually be the smart one in the group over there

Nice rhetorical piece for the uninformed. However: 1. Assumes tariffs will rebalance trade? Depends if you sell goods others want. Also, isn't the trade deifoct a function of us spending and debt 2. Assumes that tariffs will promote industry, when deind is relative, manufacturing has grown just

as much as svcs. 3. Makes much of non tariff barriers but doesn't acknowledge scale of us barriers 4. Makes much of investment commitments many of which are chinerical 5. Gdp wise hasn't the us actually benefited from

current regime, its problem is redistribution 6. Hasn't inflation actually been trending up?

Finally, didnt the sky not fall because he/they Tacoed?

When you strip out the marketing, boasting, and spin is there anything left?

No, but pushing back against all the suggestions of a "secret strategy" or "a new way of doing business" feels like a game of whack-a-mole

smart perhaps, but cynical and dishonest