MSNBC Columnist Warns Trump’s Tariff Plan Could Fuel Corruption and Economic Chaos

President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported goods could inflict serious harm on the U.S. economy and pave the way for a more corrupt second administration, argued MSNBC columnist Paul Waldman in a scathing opinion piece on Wednesday.

Trump has consistently touted tariffs as a “brilliant” economic strategy, claiming they can boost domestic prosperity and pressure foreign governments into compliance. However, Waldman warns that the reality could be far grimmer, predicting economic disruption and increased political favoritism.

“Trump believes that tariffs can do almost anything — force other countries to their knees, bring prosperity to the nation, even restore your sense of manly virility,” Waldman wrote. “Best of all, they can provide an avenue for him to reward those who please him, hurt those who fail to bend the knee, and maybe even use his office to make a few more bucks.”

Reflecting on Trump’s first term, Waldman described the chaotic and uneven application of tariffs, which led to thousands of requests for exemptions and carve-outs from lobbyists eager to shield their clients from the financial burden. “The administration became besieged by lobbyists, who filed thousands of requests for special exemptions and carve-outs to allow their clients to import goods and parts without paying the tariffs,” he noted.

Trump’s new, more expansive tariff proposal, Waldman suggests, could be a foretaste of even greater corruption. “In a second term, Trump won’t just be doling out favors; he’ll also deliver punishments,” he wrote, arguing that the president’s personal grievances could influence policy decisions.

The column highlighted Trump’s track record of using his office to reward loyalists and retaliate against perceived enemies. “The public knows how personal Trump’s views are toward companies and their CEOs,” Waldman observed, adding that a firm’s success under Trump could hinge on “whether they treat him like the king he imagines himself to be.”

Waldman concluded by comparing Trump’s potential second term to authoritarian regimes. “Firms looking at this history might reasonably decide that making good products isn’t enough to succeed; they also must win the goodwill of a petty and mercurial president, just as companies do in dictatorships around the world.”

As Trump prepares to reintroduce his controversial economic policies, critics like Waldman are sounding the alarm about the potential consequences for both the economy and the integrity of his administration.