"So if Trump is willing to hurt the economy, he must be getting something he wants even more in return.That thing is power. With tariffs, Trump can exercise a kind of corruption that the country hasn’t experienced in some 150 years—a kind of control that is ultimately incompatible with both democracy and prosperity.With tariffs, Trump is poised to trade a strong economy for one run on loyalty and retribution. Trump, a president who rules like a mob boss while claiming vast new powers, is transforming the government into a tool of reward and punishment. Already, prosecutions against Trump’s friends are being dropped…" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/donald-trump-tariffs-corruption/