In President Trump's State of the Union speech last night he once again gave a leading role in his economic program to TARIFFS — his "favorite word." Amid many dubious claims and false statistics his praise for tariffs loomed large.

In Trump's view he is retaliating for years of being "ripped off" by countries with a favorable balance of trade with the U.S.

Despite the recent Supreme Court ruling that Congress must vote for tariffs, Trump claims unilateral power to impose tariffs at his
will and whim.  He celebrates "unbelievably successful TARIFFS imposed on Foreign Countries and Companies which have made America Stronger, Bigger, and Better than ever before."

At the heart of this Trump tariff saga is a fundamental falsehood:  EVERY DOLLAR PAID FOR TARIFFS IS PAID BY AMERICANS, NOT BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Tariffs are essentially internal taxes. Trump persists in imagining that massive income from foreign sources adds so much to our Federal revenue that we will soon be able to replace ourannual income tax payments with these foreign resources. What madness!

Even Secretary of Treasury Bessent admits the basic truth when pressed:

"Who writes the check to the Treasury?"

"Well the check is written by the person who receives (the shipment) at the dock in the U.S."

"So the tariff is paid in this country by the importer — is that right?"

"Right."

What does it say about competence versus loyalty in the Trump Administration that the President goes on with his tariff fantasy accompanied by deep economic damage due to his tariff manipulations uncorrected by his staff?

James Matlack lives in Camden