How Trump Justifies His Tariffs - From Budget Balancing To Protecting 'the Soul' Of America
To President Donald Trump , "tariff" is more than "the most beautiful word in the dictionary," something he says often.
Tariffs, in Trump's view, are also a cure for a number of the nation's ills and the tool to reach new heights.
Most economists see taxes paid on imports as capable of addressing unfair trade practices, but they're skeptical of the quasi-miraculous properties that Trump claims they possess.
As the Republican president has touched off a trade war with America's trading partners, he has offered an array of reasons to justify the steep tariffs he's imposing or considering on goods coming from Mexico, Canada, China and beyond, despite warnings from experts that adding taxes to imported goods leads to higher prices for U.S. businesses and consumers.
A look at Trump's assortment of justifications for the tariffs he's imposing: