Topic
Politics
Published on
August 21, 2025
Civitas
Conversations
Veronique de Rugy on Why the Experts Are Still Right About Trump’s Tariffs | Civitas Conversations

The Cost of Conflict: White House and Human Rights

February 18, 2026
About this episode

Civitas Outlook editor-in-chief Richard Reinsch and Veronique de Rugy discuss Veronique's analysis of Trump's tariff policies in her recent article "Tariffs, Trade Wars, and the Coming Storm."

Civitas Outlook editor-in-chief Richard Reinsch and Veronique de Rugy discuss Veronique's analysis of Trump's tariff policies in her recent article "Tariffs, Trade Wars, and the Coming Storm."

De Rugy argues that, despite claims of victory by protectionists, the current state of economic calm is deceptive and long-term damage will be significant. She recalls that Trump's Liberation Day proposal caused market panic, forcing him to pause and reduce rates through deals. De Rugy emphasizes that tariffs are taxes paid by Americans, not foreigners, and warns that transactional trade policy threatens rules-based governance and invites cronyism that could damage America's long-term economic health.

Veronique de Rugy is George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a nationally syndicated columnist.

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