In reality, slapping taxes on car parts imported from Canada and Mexico will hurt U.S. automakers harder than their competitors offshore because U.S. automakers have extensive operations in Canada and Mexico.

U.S. auto dealers have warned the Trump regime that tariffs will make cars less affordable to American consumers at a time when many Americans remain concerned about inflation.

Trump has waved away such concerns, insisting his tariffs will raise revenue — enabling him to lower taxes. The White House calculates that his tariffs could raise $100 billion annually. But the mere threat of such tariffs has erased more than $100 billion from the largest carmakers’ market capitalization in recent weeks.

Plus, as I’ve shown, his tariffs are a regressive tax that will be paid mostly by lower-income Americans, while his planned tax cuts will mostly benefit higher-income Americans.

The result: a huge hidden upward redistribution.

Another dumb Trump move that’s not just a gross mistake | Opinion

Trump said worldwide automobile taxes, er, tariffs, will come into effect next week, on April 3, alongside Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs, due April 2. The new 25 percent tariff will be applied to auto parts, as well. All other countries already face a 2.5 percent tariff on their passenger car exports to the United States and a 25 percent tar…

Another dumb Trump move that’s not just a gross mistake | Opinion