Why MCA?

Okay, so, on Monday, Trump started a tariff war with...Canada.

Canada is our #2 trading partner. Canada is also our top trading partner for the purchases of automobiles.

We had a trading agreement with Canada and Mexico, which Trump tore up -- the U.S.-MCA. That supposedly unfair, terrible deal was negotiated by Trump, during his first term.

The 50% tariffs are taxes paid by U.S. consumers. This will raise prices for products like cars, trucks, automotive parts, steel, furniture, clothing, agricultural products and more. And increase inflation.

Canada is retaliating with tariffs on U.S. exports, including steel, farm equipment, dairy products, and appliances. This will raises prices, likely cut American sales and hurt business.

Canada is our oldest and closet ally. We share the longest international border in the world with Canada, of 5,525 miles. A remarkably friendly border, all the more remarkable at that length.

We had a trade agreement with Canada -- The U.S.-MCA. It was negotiated by Trump. (Yes, I know I said this, but it can't be said enough.)

And...and...and this is an election year. Early voting starts in some states in only four weeks. As many as 13 states -- a quarter of the country -- start early voting in just six weeks.

And then later in the day, Trump announced imposing a threat of tariffs and an "economic D-Day" on Iran and every country that does business with Iran. That would include Russia and China.

And this is an election year. Yes, I know I said that, too. Same reason. See above.

And all of this comes when Trump's poll numbers have been plummeting and, just 19 months into his term, have already hit a horrific 32% approval.

So, what is the reason for all this?

Okay, I've got nothing. That's it. I can't explain it.

When discussing incomprehensible actions by Trump with people twisting themselves to come up with an explanation, I always say, "You're using logic. Don't try to figure out why Trump is doing something because he often doesn't know himself. You're just dragging yourself into a dark hole."

So, sorry, I've got nothing.

To be clear, it's not that there's no rational political reason to explain all this from Trump, it's that there's no irrational reason either.

All I can come up with is what I've written since his first term -- that psychologists say Trump has dementia, and it's degenerative. And that they also say he is a "malignant narcissist," a medical term where (among other things) if he doesn't get his way he will burn his own home down.

This isn't hyperbole. It doesn't mean I'm right, but I can't see much else to go on. Consider, for a moment: what issues does Trump talk about these days?  We won the war, the economy is great, affordability is a hoax, his ballroom, his heliport, his Reflecting Pool, vandals, his arch, granite, Scott’s Miracle-Gro, the road race, if Darline Graham wins in South Carolina he’ll play golf against the state’s best golfer, and he’s going to Ireland next month to attend the Irish Open played on his course.

Again, that isn't hyperbole. Maybe I'm leaving some things out -- but not much. And a lot of what I'm leaving out is worse. Like how AI data centers are great, and people should love them.

Imagine being a MAGOP candidate and having to run during the Mid-Term in support of this agenda of Trump's. And if you campaign against it, you'll lose the party's base. But the bigger reason you can't campaign against it because you've been enabling it all since Trump took office.

So, it's not that I've got nothing to explain it (other than dementia and malignant narcissism) -- they have nothing. At least I can fill up an article describing this. They've got to campaign on it.

And you know it's going to get worse. Because dementia is degenerative. And because we've seen it. It used to be -- "You know Trump is going to do something awful every week." Then it was every day. But now, you have to check the news every hour!

And no, that's not hyperbole. Consider Monday: tariffs on Canada, economic D-Day tariffs on Iran, jailing for deportation the father of a sailor coming home on the U.S.S. Lincoln, and SCOTUS letting Trump’s block of mail-in-voting move forward.  All Monday!  And that doesn't count new stories about Natalie Harp, Trump begging at a rally in deep Red South Carolina that "What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” ordering the Navy being not to name a new ship after a black hero at Pearl Harbor but instead name it after...Trump! And more. On Monday!

Don't even ask about Tuesday. I don't want to get into when said he's thinking about renaming Lake Ontario. And threatening to tear down the Kennedy Center. And sending a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia to Congress. And Canada imposing tariffs in retaliation. All on Tuesday.

So...why did Trump declare 50% tariffs on our second-biggest trading partner and closest ally, ripping up the U.S.-MCA trade deal he himself negotiated (you can't say that too much...), and do all this just weeks before early voting starts for the Mid-Terms? When his approval is only 32%?

I'm not even going to try to explain why. Just describing it is bewildering enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zph7YXfjMhg