Trump ‘Tariffed’ Almost Everyone. Guess Which Country Got Left Off His List?

Do we really need to play the ‘I’ll give you three guesses but you’ll only need one’ game?  Be honest now. When you read the title you said RUSSIA! And I’ll bet a lot of you, like me didn’t notice at first that Russia had been omitted from that set of panels Trump held up showing which country got hit with what percentage of tariffs.

It took a full day before I noticed and then only because of seeing a single, ONE article. At least it got noticed by some journalists but there was a time when this would have been a bigger deal. Damn if Team Trump didn’t have someone that came up with a plausible way to ‘hide the ball.’ Maybe some on Trump’s team aren’t as dumb as we think and I’ll explain why.

Of course the headline of the Axios article that prompted me to write this got my attention.  And the linked article opens with a single clear sentence that points out while Trump’s list of countries that would have tariffs slapped on them included ‘virtually’ every country in the world there was “one notable exception – Russia.” 

Hmmmm. As I read it, early on I was astounded that there’s a bit of spine left in journalists that during a press conference Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was actually asked about it!  Even more astounding was that she had a ready-prepared answer. It was gaslighting bullshit of course but it was prepared ahead of time just in case and credible enough that MAGA would swallow it hook, line and sinker. Per Axios:

The intrigue: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios Wednesday that Russia was left off because U.S. sanctions already “preclude any meaningful trade.” However, the U.S. still trades more with Russia than with countries like Mauritius or Brunei that did make Trump’s tariffs list.

Now, to be fair North Korea, Belarus and Cuba (from which there’s even less trade than the $3.5 billion we now have with Russia) are also excluded for the same “reason.” It might not be a GOOD excuse but like I said it’s easily enough of one for the average MAGA. Or for a conservative with a working brain trying to defend their indefensible continued support for Trump to hang their (ass)hat on. 

Here’s the thing though – as the linked article notes some pretty obscure places got whacked with new Trump tariffs. Remote island territories such as Tokelau (pop. 1,500) in the South Pacific and Svalbard (pop. 2,500) in the Arctic Circle — territories of New Zealand and Norway, respectively.

It was a bigly YUGE list of countries on Trump’s multiple big show and tell boards. (Not big enough to obscure the fact HIS FACE IS ORANGE!) That’s part of why I say maybe there are some folks at the WH who have functioning brains after all.

It was a blizzard of places most Americans have never heard of, but it seemed safe to assume all the well known countries were there somewhere.  But initially at least journalists were looking at place like the two territories I cited saying “Who? What? Where the hell ARE those places?” 

For good measure some places with NO population were included too! And yesterday it was semi-entertaining to learn a group of islands populated not with a single person but tons of PENGUINS are now subject to Trump Tariffs!  How much do you want to bet some staffer whispered about that one to a few reporters to get THAT into the news for a while?

Now again, to be fair Canada and Mexico weren’t part of Trump’s big, market crashing announcement.  However the tariff situation with the both of them has been news for weeks. It’s it’s own separate tariff issue.  What matters to me is that RUSSIA got a pass.

I for one don’t think that’s an accident. The other thing is that at least one person in the WH knew that might get noticed and created a smokescreen, that would hold at least until the weekend when people wouldn’t be paying as much attention to the news. Or other news would come up that would dominate things, or both.

I have to confess the possibility not everyone in the WH is just another dumbass Trump fluffing sycophant is troubling.  That while their intentions are anything but pure and good they do have some savvy. And worse can sometimes help Trump hide important goings on a a blizzard of bullshit.

It’s bad enough Trump is so good at it on his own. So, we have to be ever vigilant for staffers that have their own ability to engage in “Weapons of Mass DISTRACTION’ warfare. In the end though I have to believe that something was communicated between Trump and Putin, and it led to Russia not being included on the tariff list.