Will Americans Tolerate ‘Short Term’ Tariff Pain?

Jeff Greenfield: “When it comes to the economy, the emergence, depth and reach of hard times will become clear in the coming months. But as a political matter, history shows that it is highly dangerous for a president to offer the prospect of sacrifice in the cause of long-term benefits.”

“Even when the case for suffering is due to a legitimate threat to national survival, Americans are a lot more willing to endure the theoretical impact than the reality. Trump, in fact, may be even more likely than his predecessors to bear the brunt of the public’s impatience.”