U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is questioned about the Trump administration strategy or lack thereof. “Yes, there’s a strategy,” Greer says in this new interview. “First of all, you don’t change 70 years of trade policy overnight. And second of all, when some people say, ‘Oh, well, this is chaos. What’s your strategy?’, what they really want to know is can we go back to how it was before? And that’s not going to happen.”
The interview is in an audio file presented by Politico and shared below. This is some really good information on the various free trade agreements and the regions represented by some of our largest trade partners. Well worth listening to as you go about your day and travels today. Embed below:
USTR Greer notes how the tariffs are being used, the upcoming Supreme Court decision, the need for congress to codify the tariff regime in legislation and the various regional strategies for the deployment of countervailing duties.
Seems to be a problem with the Left. Always looking for instant gratification / satisfaction with everything they do. Not willing to play the long game to achieve their goals. The, “I want it now”, attitude is what children display.
There is nobody better at playing the long game than the left. They have been working towards the destruction of our republic for 70 plus years. In this case the left includes the republicans.
There’s definitely a difference between the people pulling the strings and their constituents.
Yes, and the biggest obstacle is not short term thinking, it’s that everyday is Opposite Day. If Trump is for it, they are against it. If Trump is against it, they are for it. IMO, this more than anything is harming America’s political discourse. It’s why I was so impressed with Dash Burns demeanor and questions. She wanted to know how Trumps trade policy will be good for America and Americans in particular. Too many politicians want to “win” politically whether that win is good for America or not.
Chip your comments are bingo! The R’s stand for Retards! They can, should and have the abilities to absolutely WRECK the demoncrat party right now.
Get rid of the filibuster and blue slip in the senate. Pass every election security measure known to man and codify PDJT’s EO’s into law.
Instead of destroying the D’s they float around aimlessly talking platitudes and getting drawn into the Dem playbook. There is so much silence right now by the R’s you can actually hear their ineptitude and downright traitorous inaction.
They are setting the country up for ruin right after Trump leaves office again . Whichever payee pays the most ends up being their constituents. Right Paul and Massie!
Feckless poltroons, the lot of them!
A
T. I. G. A.
“Total Instant Gratification” Attitude
The selfish, self-centered, “I want! I want! I want!” mantra of two year-olds has always infected our society, but it began to be shouted in earnest in the 1960s with the aging of the Baby Boom Generation (BGG).
The Greatest Generation (TGG) returned from the battlefields of Europe and Asia vowing their children (BBG) would never suffer war again.
The BBG were to be raised on one of FDR’S Four Freedoms, Freedom From Want. The 1950s were a halcyon time when the progeny of TGG were given everything. Dr. Spock became the grand vizier of parenting. The result of following Dr. Spock is evident by the attitudes of our society today. Lack of discipline, rudeness, intolerance, historical bias, illogic, rampant consumerism, lack of consequences for bad behavior, and an Elites v. Commoners attitude by our politicians and entrepenuers.
Trump has presented us with an alternative to this moral slide into oblivion. If we have any sense remaining, we will heed his MAGA principles rather than combating them.
I’m a boomer and you missed the mark on how I was raised. You shouldn’t paint with such a broad brush.
Just imagine no IRS or income tax. Tariffs and trade agreements may open that door…bill
We primarily used tariffs to fund our government up to the income tax.
It would be nice to go back. But the income tax supported the massive expansions of the government that we have gone through.
It is doubtful that anyone will drastically cut government. Not even DOGE.
Like the argument of replacing income tax with value added taxes, the worst outcome is to be stuck with both.
Remember the “flat tax” idea? Everybody pays 10%, full stop. No offshore tax havens, no convoluted trusts. I think it was Herman Cain who campaigned on that issue, though I remember Neal Boortz talked about it on the radio many years ago. Congress almost panicked when it was seriously suggested because it would have meant revealing their true incomes. In theory, it would have been the most honest and fair iteration of an income tax.
VAT or other sales taxes would be fine, I think. Tax what we spend, not what we earn.
I was a follower then and a fan of the “Fair Tax” SB25, and HR25 respectively, as put forth by then Congressman Linder.
Taxes on consumption as opposed to income actually benefits the poor, as a percentage of take, more than it helps the rich.
I like it. Washington doesn’t. That’s par.
Wouldn’t a tax on consumption be more of a burden on low income workers? They spend a much larger percentage of their earnings on consumables than the wealthy.
Most of the plans I saw provided for a rebate to cover the tax paid on a basic threshold of spending. The threshold was substantial and would have held-harmless lower income households. One could actually come out ahead if one was smart about shopping, relying more on the used, non-retail market, and so forth. But the income tax would have had to be removed, constitutionally, in order for it to be acceptable.
The European Union (an oxymoron if there ever was one) has both, I think, and it is falling apart. Why imitate a failed model?
I think we are seeing that the price of government can be drastically reduced just by eliminating the fraud in its programs. No government program cuts would be necessary. Not that we should not cut programs.
No new laws will be required. Just enforce the laws on the books and eliminate blatant theft.
And cutting the size of government is the one thing that must happen. If the government is smaller, waste and fraud have to be smaller.
Never happen, G.I. Too many people make their livings from the implementation of the Tax Code and the IRS laws. Think about all the lawyers, accountants, agency employees, contractors, and software providers who depend upon the IRS/Income Tax concept. OTOH, the idea sounds good. The Zen Master says, “We’ll see.”
Replacing income tax with tariffs sounds like a great plan. It would put power and wealth back in the hands of citizens. The US would be able to attract top notch talent and business investment. I honestly can’t see a downside.
It will take time to accomplish. Needs to have some top brains to come up with a plan on how to get it done. Many posters talk about the leftwing communist/socialist agenda and how evil cabals have been planning bad things for years. Maybe MAGA should be be planning too but for good changes..
I think the government should completely stay out of socialism. Maybe someday there will be laws that restrict governments from engaging in socialism and that restrict spending, borrowing and deficits. That would be awesome. Let the private sector take care of the needy and those needing care or a helping hand. They are much better at it and they should not receive government funding. Let the people who want social change figure out how to make it happen and how to fund it. The government should manage the laws, policing and justice systems that restrain abuse and theft at all levels of society but they should stay out of socialism.
The same concept should apply to relationships between countries. Handouts never work. All that does is create dependancy, entitlement and corruption.
National security and a strong military is incredibly important and should be a financial priority. I’m not sure that tariffs would be enough to fund that but who knows.
If anyone thinks that CONgress will ever let go of the main way to rip off the middle class and aggrandize themselves and their corporate masters, IOW, the progressive income tax, he needs to have his head examined.
Obviously, one of Congress’s duties is to codify tariffs into law.
which lies the problem, in my opinion. In order to do so, they’d have to give some power away and can you imagine them doing that. They want more not less.
The “separation of powers” enshrined in the Constitution says that the Congress shall “Regulate Commerce with foreign Nations.” While otherwise the Constitution actually conveys no such discretion to the President – except to negotiate “with the advice and consent of the Senate.” (Which, at that time, was filled by State Legislatures, not the populace.)
Therefore, the President can do exactly – and no more – what the Congress has authorized him to do. Trump is imposing tariffs under the auspices of explicit Congressional authority to do so – as codified in existing US Law. If the Congress now wishes to change it, they are free to do so.
Tariffs: The Taxes That Made America Great
https://buchanan.org/blog/tariffs-the-taxes-that-made-america-great-136986
“Tariffs were the taxes that made America great. They were the taxes relied upon by the first and greatest of our early statesmen, before the coming of the globalists Woodrow Wilson and FDR.
Tariffs, to protect manufacturers and jobs, were the Republican Party’s path to power and prosperity in the 19th and 20th centuries, before the rise of the Rockefeller Eastern liberal establishment and its embrace of the British-bred heresy of unfettered free trade.
The Tariff Act of 1789 was enacted with the declared purpose, “the encouragement and protection of manufactures.” It was the second act passed by the first Congress led by Speaker James Madison. It was crafted by Alexander Hamilton and signed by President Washington.”
And the funny thing, at least to me, is that “tariffs” seem to be portrayed as: “unusual.” They are not. Every nation on this planet imposes “tariffs.” When you recall President Trump holding up that poster showing a “table of tariffs,” kindly remember that the numbers on that poster represented 50% of the tariffs that we were now paying to them!
To the international trader, “tariffs” are part of “COGS = Cost of Goods Sold.” They are expected.
The USA’s only mistake was to stop collecting them. In the name of “Free” Trade, which of course is never, and can never properly be, “free.”
The other(!) nations were much too clever to substitute the word, “Free,” with the word: “Sucker!” 🤡
Congress, both Senate and House barely in the hands of “Republicans” needs to codify the tariffs.
They need to codify ALL of President Trump’s EOs.
But those EOs of national importance…the whole MAGA agenda which does so much to right the wrongs of previous administrations which have brought America low, lie dormant and ignored.
Intentionally?
There is no doubt in my mind, yes…
Just as with President Trump’s first term. Someone stuck a pen in Biden’s hand with a mountainous pile of those uncodified Trumpian EOs on the first full day of the most disastrous, abominable four year period in the history of our nation. Whereupon he proceeded to cancel them and executed our Republic.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, says Johnson and Thune are in league with the Dems as this unconscionable, deliberate failure.
And every day I despise them all the more for it.
Ms. Betsy I apologize for mirroring your comments 👆🏽 above! Hadn’t read down fur nuff to see your excellent words describing our elected “Traitorous” a$$ clowns performing absolutely nothing of importance after the BBBill was passed. God Bless! MAGA ON!
I missed yours, my friend…I didn’t read any before I posted, such is my fury. I probably owe you an apology.
I didn’t think for one moment I was the only one who watches the supine treachery and feels their blood pressure shoot up 👍🏻
If anyone is interested, read the November 2025 national security strategy, it’s only 33 pages.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf
With respect to President Trump’s Trade Policy, it has always been quite simple. Trade Policy has been a single cover page containing two words and an addendum for each nation and Trade Blocks as needed, with the President’s Signature and US Seal on the cover page.
Cover page: Fair Trade
Addendums:
1 per nation and trade block defining the bi-lateral Fair Trade Agreement between the US and that nation and/or trade block.
Tariffs have a tool used to complete each addendum.
“the need for congress to codify the tariff regime in legislation” <– That right there needs to happen. Instead of the GOP trying to figure out how to remove every poor Republican voter from healthcare, they should be codifying President Trump’s tariff ideology into law.
If the Republicans codified all of the President’s Executive Orders … even the problems of “poor US Citizens” would be addressed.
Thanks for this. Great interview, and Dasha Burns did a great job. The best line came at the end, when Greer explained the politics of free trade, “In 1994, it was all about free trade and increasing imports, W was in favor of that and Obama was in favor of that and in 20216, both Trump and Clinton campaigned against free trade.”
Watch and learn…..
We are living in historic times.
The part where it is mentioned that we are NOT going “back to how it was before” is the most important part.
It certainly appears we are
Not
Going
Back.
The era of the Marshall Plan
Is over.
Finally.
About time.
Thank you, Sundance!
“Free trade agreements” exist to offshore U.S. jobs to foreign nations, outsource U.S. work to foreign firms, and in-source foreign labor to destabilize the U.S. domestic labor market further by replacing U.S. citizen workers with foreign labor.