Part 5/7:
Hansen posits that the tariffs imposed by Trump should not be reduced to mere economic protectionism. Rather, they constitute a diplomatic maneuver aimed at restoring balance to international trade. The goals include addressing systemic unfairness in trade practices, ensuring that ally nations fulfill their military obligations, and curbing illegal immigration.
In a broader sense, Hansen suggests that these tariffs reflect Trump’s frustration with a series of diplomatic efforts that had yielded little reciprocation or compromise from the targeted nations. They were a desperate, yet strategic attempt to push back against what he viewed as asymmetrical policies that had long favored global partners at the expense of American interests.