Victor Davis Hanson unpacks what Donald Trump's Tariff Plan

Victor Davis Hanson unpacks what Donald Trump called “Liberation Day”—a bold declaration that the era of lopsided trade deals and asymmetrical tariffs is over. But as Hanson explains, the reaction was swift and furious. Not just from America’s political left, but from Wall Street, libertarians, and foreign governments who have long benefited from trade practices that favored everyone but the United States.
Why the outrage? Hanson sees a deeper hypocrisy. Countries like China, India, Vietnam, and much of Europe maintain high tariffs against U.S. goods—yet their economies are thriving. If tariffs are so damaging, why do they rely on them so heavily? And why is the global elite angry not at the ones who imposed these unfair barriers, but at the first U.S. president who dared to push back?
Hanson explores how Trump’s tariffs weren’t about starting a trade war, but about finally responding to one that had been waged against America for decades. And it goes far beyond economics. Trump sees a broader threat from China—militarily, diplomatically, and culturally—and believes the only way to confront it is through strength at home: securing the border, reviving energy production, ending ESG madness, and restoring merit in education and productivity in industry.
This isn’t a doomsday warning—it’s a call to action. According to Hanson, the U.S. still holds a decisive edge in innovation, GDP, and per capita income. But the clock is ticking. Trump’s vision, as Hanson sees it, isn’t just about correcting trade—it’s about reclaiming national destiny.