Trump has no clue of economics. He thinks a 20% tariff on imports from Mexico will be paid by Mexicans. We, the buyer of Mexican products, will pay with a 20% increase on vegetables, fruit, nuts and a myriad of things the Japanese and Chinese make in Mexico. Who would pay for a whimsical wall — Americans! His Chief of Staff listed possible payer’s including Drug Cartels!!!

When a tariff is put on a country it responds with its own tariffs and restrictions. We export billions of dollars of grains and manufactured items to Mexico. This means a lot of those products will be replaced by products from China, Japan, Brazil or Argentina.

Speaker of the House Ryan is an economic wonk and said a tariff isn’t going to happen because it is a 20% tax on Americans.

I have heard Trump talk about putting a tax on items going to certain countries if they don’t do what he wants. First, they would buy from another country. Second, I remember a question on my Constitution test in high school. Article I, section 9 says no taxes can be imposed on exports. No President or Congress can put any kind of tax on exports for any purpose. The swamp is getting murkier and more expansive.