In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump and Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine have evoked the spirit of two of America's most revered early statesmen.
In this unexpected political tableau, Trump assumes the role of Founding Father James Madison, while Golden channels the essence of New England's own John Quincy Adams, son of the esteemed Founding Father John Adams.
As reported by Axios, Golden has adopted a stance reminiscent of Quincy Adams, breaking ranks with his own party to voice support for Trump's contentious yet ingenious tariff policy. This policy, championed by Trump, aims to provide relief for America's working class from the exploitation masked as free trade by globalists. Golden's recognition of this fact is commendable.
As House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York gears up to rally Democrats against Trump's tariffs, Golden has also identified the glaring hypocrisy within his own party. "When they're searching under every couch cushion for ways to re-appeal the party to working class, coming out against this so strongly" is a flawed strategy, Golden told Axios. He recalled the Democratic outrage against the World Trade Organization, NAFTA, and other trade deals, noting the sudden and complete reversal in the party's stance. Now, Democrats are staunchly defending the relevance of the stock market to the American economy and advocating for free trade deals.
Investors, naturally, favor predictability, which may explain the recent depreciation in the stock market's paper value. However, Trump's tariffs are not designed to further enrich investors. The president has a broader objective, including shielding Americans from lethal drugs like fentanyl. On these matters, Golden's comments echoed the sentiments of a true MAGA patriot. Dismissing the concerns of anxious investors, he stated, "The vast majority of Americans have no stocks." Golden also expressed hope that the president would remain steadfast in his policy.
So, how does Golden's support for Trump's tariffs evoke images of Madison and Quincy Adams? Trump has utilized tariffs in a manner akin to the Founders' intentions. Tariffs, when not solely implemented for revenue generation, serve as tools of economic coercion. If used correctly, they can influence the behavior of foreign governments.
Madison, along with his ally Thomas Jefferson, considered economic coercion as a viable alternative to war. This was most evident during Jefferson's presidency when Madison, as Secretary of State, advocated for a full-scale embargo on all international trade in 1807. The embargo aimed to protect American sailors from British impressment and American ships from the warring British and French forces on the high seas. Despite the economic collapse it caused, the embargo achieved its objectives.
Federalists, akin to modern Democrats, sought to exploit the short-term economic distress caused by the embargo. However, Quincy Adams, in a comprehensive and insightful 1808 letter to Massachusetts state Sen. Harrison Gray Otis, criticized his fellow Federalists for not supporting the administration's embargo. He noted that the embargo protected some of the most vulnerable Americans from injustice while causing only mild and temporary inconvenience to trading interests.
While tariffs are not as extreme as a full-scale embargo, the principle of economic coercion remains the same. Therefore, Golden deserves credit for supporting Trump's tariffs, playing the role of Quincy Adams to Trump's Madison. Alternatively, Golden's support for the tariffs could be attributed to a simpler reason: he believes they will work. This unexpected alliance between Trump and Golden serves as a reminder of the complex and often surprising dynamics of American politics.
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