I'm not a fan of Trump's but I think there's a bit more going on...

I'm not a fan of Trump's but I think there's a bit more going on with him on this. If I were to put my finger on the time from when the developed world started seriously losing ground economically and militarily to the developing world, it was when the developed world gave up its making and manufacturing of things to the developing world (in the 90s), particularly China. And a big component of that change was that we in the developed world removed tariffs and let China etc make everything we wanted at slave labour prices, which domestic industries in the developed world couldn't compete with.

I have no doubt that Trump knew that reintroducing tariffs was going to be one of the big challenges and defining moments of his legacy, and he believes he has to do it to put America back on a footing to ultimately beat China when that fight comes. But I don't think this game plan was Trump's idea. There's been people in Washington and the bureaucracy who have been fighting for this to happen for a long time because they think it will put America back in the front seat economically and militarily. Trouble is lots of the Power Elite in America and Europe are strongly opposed to reintroducing tariffs, for ideological and/or personal financial reasons. If Trump's faction wins this fight and manages to overturn the last 30 years of America's free trade policy, it will be an enormous historical shift with profound ramifications for the world IMO.