But then what are you doing to "help" American manufacturing?

I mean clearly nothing but why does that matter

Gotta have a hook. Look at how he did in the Upper Midwest in '24 vs. '20. That was through appealing to the manufacturing base. There are elements of that bloc that have wanted tariffs for decades.

If you lay off people to send the stock price up, you are the enemy. If you do it to "protect American manufacturing", you're a hero.

Well, to a very niche part of the voting public, but it's enough.

sure but you can basically say whatever you want. Remember the trump tax plan is just 'cut taxes on the rich and provide industrial subsidies' and that works just fine. No need to chop share prices while you're at it with a silly tariff.

That's not nearly enough to win his base. That's been the plan for the GOP since... forever. This is "going after the establishment" with a tariff.

Now, does it benefit anyone? Hell no. But the tariffs are the hook that make him different from decades of GOP free trade globalization policy.