The Toxic Trump Taco

Here's why it's poisoning us all

Last week, CNBC’s Megan Casella asked Trump about a term called “the TACO trade,” which is making the rounds on Wall Street. TACO is the acronym for “Trump Always Chickens Out,” which is exactly what Trump has consistently done in announcing sweeping tariffs before rolling them back. (At least 21 times with respect to Chinese tariffs alone.)

Predictably, Trump lost his cool, accused Casella of asking a “nasty” question and ordered her never to ask it again. Being the object of mockery is his achilles heel, so, by all means, keep up the taco memes. In this case, he really is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He can’t afford to be made to look ridiculous but going through with these tariffs at the insane rates he has imposed would lead to such a cataclysmic economic downturn that he can’t afford to do that either.

But the larger point is that Trump is imposing his failed business strategy on the nation and the world. He has ever only had one play. Once you figure it out (and I can assure you that our adversaries have long ago figured it out), there is really no mystery about what he is going to do. Rather than being the unpredictable man of mystery he wants to appear to be, he is the most plodding, predictable person on earth. Here’s why: