Are Tariffs as Bad as Economists Say? They're Worse.

Are the President's tariffs protecting American industry, or making the economy less efficient and more vulnerable to political favoritism? On this episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller sits down with AIER Senior Fellow Dave Hebert and Phil Magness of the Independent Institute to examine the economic and political costs of protectionism. They discuss the shifting landscape of Trump's tariff policy, the realities of American manufacturing, the Jones Act, rare earth minerals, and the case for free trade. They also explore how tariffs create opportunities for cronyism, entrench special interests, and distort markets, often in ways that outlast the policies that created them.

But are tariffs really as harmful as most economists suggest? Listen to find out. And don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and leave a review.