Donald Trump has Officially Imposed Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
Why would Trump do such a thing? Here is his official justification:

As a Canadian this is scary because it threatens to put our economy into recession. Is Trump being honest, though? Here is an alternative answer: Greed. Trump has become convinced Tariffs will be a cash cow. Economists are saying America is shooting itself in the foot with massive tariffs, but this is what Trump seems to think. Note this short video of him loving the idea of tariffs:
So why is he emphatic that the reason for the tariffs is, in the case of Canada, fentanyl? Imposing arbitrary tariffs is contrary to the US constitution and international law. The President has authority under certain statutes (e.g., the Trade Act of 1974, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962) to impose tariffs for national security or economic reasons, though these actions can be challenged in court. If a tariff policy were challenged on constitutional grounds, courts might examine whether it violates due process or equal protection (e.g., if it discriminatorily targets specific countries or industries without a rational basis). Such challenges typically focus on statutory or the Commerce Clause.
The term “arbitrary” suggests a lack of legal or rational basis. Tariffs must generally comply with U.S. law, international trade agreements (e.g., WTO rules), and constitutional principles. Courts could potentially strike down tariffs deemed arbitrary or discriminatory, and this would likely involve statutory or Commerce Clause arguments. In summary, legal challenges to tariffs would likely focus on statutory authority, the Commerce Clause, or international trade obligations. In other words, under this interpretation Trump is just inventing reasons out of whole cloth so his tariff move isn’t challenged in court on grounds of being arbitrary. Such a Trump would then be lying to make America rich. I’m not saying this is what Trump is doing, just that it’s a way to read the evidence if you don’t consider Trump a particularly moral person.
Note that Trump has said he will cancel the tariffs if Canada becomes the 51st state, which some might think is more reflective of a wannabe emperor and expanding his empire than a concerned president. Note too as soon as Trump was elected supporters began looking into amending the law so he could run for a third term.
So what is going on? Trump knows the value of having bright people like lawyers around him. There seems to be economic and political historians around him that have put together a plan. For example, he repeatedly cited the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as a legal basis for deporting undocumented immigrants during his campaign and presidency. The United States relied heavily on tariffs during the 18th and 19th centuries. The other day he noted that “We were at our richest as a country from 1870 to 1913, when we were a tariff country.” Why is he banking on this tariff approach even though most economists suggest the tariff model is severely flawed? Trump has noted there will be initial hardships, but he is banking on the idea that companies will move to America rather than pay the tariffs.
Like a bully in the schoolyard, Trump only has power if countries are in isolation. If the world comes together, a very different result will happen than the one Trump is hoping for. Trump has been targeted as a terrible negotiator because he can’t seem to keep his mouth shut about his plans and so he’s basically like a supervillain in a movie who gives away his plans halfway through and gives the good guys a fighting chance.

Above is my drawing of a Donald Trump supervillain using Elon Musk’s AI lol