• xiaohongshu [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      25 days ago

      This is not true. Trump uses tariffs precisely because he can do that without going through Congress.

      There are many more tools available for the US government to play this game but tariffs are the quick and dirty way to do so (reducing trade deficits) that the president can enact directly.

      • CTHlurker [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        25 days ago

        Stricly speaking, legally he isn’t actually allowed to do it. The actual legislation presupposes that the president has an actual emergency, but Trump decided to use the loophole of “If congress stops me my fans will kill them”, which isn’t exactly how the government is meant to work, but it does a decent enough job that nobody is interested in rocking the boat too much.