11 Bluesky texts from Senator Chris Murphy, posted overnight to explain what Trump's tariffs are really all about:

[sop]

1/ Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naïve. No, tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.

2/ This week you will read many confused economists and political pundits who won't understand how the tariffs make economic sense. That's because they don't. They aren't designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.

3/ You see, our founders created a President with limited and checked powers. They specifically put the power of spending and taxation in the hands of the legislature. Why?
Because they watched how kings and despots used spending and taxes to control their subjects.

4/ British kings used taxation to reward loyalty and punish dissent. Our own revolution was spurred by the King's use of heavy taxation of the colonies to punish our push for self-governance. The King's message was simple: stop protesting and I'll stop taxing.

5/ Trump knows that he can weaken (and maybe destroy) democracy by using spending and taxation in the same way. He is using access to government funds to bully universities, law firms and state and local governments into loyalty pledges.

6/ Healthy democracies rely on an independent legal profession to maintain the rule of law, independent universities to guard objective truth and provide forums for dissent to authority, and independent state/local government to counterbalance a powerful federal government.

7/ But the private sector also plays a rule to protect democracy. Independent industry has power. The tariffs are Trump's tool to erode that independence. Now, one by one, every industry or company will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.

8/ What could Trump demand as part of a quiet loyalty pledge? Public shows of support from executives for all his economic policy. Contributions to his political efforts. Promises to police employees' support for his political opposition.

9/ The tariffs are DESIGNED to create economic hardship. Why? So that Trump has a straight face rationale for releasing them, business by business or industry by industry. As he adjusts or grants relief, it's a win-win: the economy improves and dissent disappears.

10/ And once Trump has the lawyers, colleges and industry under his thumb, it becomes very hard for the opposition to have any viable space to maneuver. Trump didn't invent this strategy. It's the playbook for democratically elected leaders who want to stay in power forever.

11/ The tariffs aren't economic policy. They are political weapons. But as long as we see this clearly, we can stop him. Public mobilization is working. Today, a few Republicans joined Democrats to vote against one set of tariffs.

The people still have the power.

[enid602]

1. Pump and dump

12: the on again, off again way that Trump has threatened and applied (and will no doubt continue to adjust) these tariffs have presented him and his cronies many opportunities to ‘pump and dump’ stocks. Should make billions.

[Chemical Bill]

17. Or tank stocks to buy them cheaply.

Or bet stocks will fall and then make them.

He (they) can make lots of money from this.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Trump is using the tariffs to get control of the US.

[delisen]

3. Great analysis by Sen Murphy. + reminder of our power nt

[malaise]

4. Get thee to the greatest page

Important

[Scrivener7]

5. Congress could undo ALL of this tomorrow if they chose to.

[leftstreet]

24. If only we had a Legislative branch in government! n/t

[flamingdem]

34. Mike Johnson is blocking it

He's doing master's bidding

[Demovictory9]

6. "every industry or company will need to pledge loyalty to Trump"." Australians were talking about this yesterday

that they understood Trump's psychology. he wants to be seen as the power, the one you have to go crawling to.

Discussion on Australian news yesterday.

[PortTack]

42. The Aussies also told him to fuck off

[bucolic_frolic]

7. That is 100% correct, and once the game is public knowledge

some plans can be made to do something about it, the people know what's going on, they pressure their representatives, the media might even report it here or there. Also our (former) allies are helping us by shunning this entire fiasco. This has been a blitzkrieg for some reason. If Trump had done this slowly it's possible few would have noticed, but this is shock treatment.

Nonetheless, BlueSky is not exactly something seen by all, so work must be done.

[Terry_M]

10. Where is the something being done and where can i see it?

It seems like this situation will start causing harm quickly.
Seems like one swift way to block most of the devolution would be for other countries to start sanctioning or fully banning future business with companies that and business leaders that play ball here.
If bezos buys trump coin to ease china sanctions, great for him. Sanction amazon in your own country. If amazon can pay into trump's coffers, they can pay Canada or France too.

[Lonestarblue]

40. As I see it, we are stuck with Trump for four years.

Republicans would not impeach him if he declared the Constitution null and void and declared himself king. He could then issue his own charter for the US, most of which has already been written by the Heritage Foundation as Project 2025.

I’m not sure we should be hoping for his impeachment because Vance could be even worse. He is totally in the pockets of the tech billionaires and the Heritage Foundation nihilists. And all they plan to create is an oligarchy ruled by wealthy white men whose religious views belong in the 1800s.

I fear we are in for a rough four years with no idea what will be left standing and what will be destroyed beyond repair for generations to come. Our scientific community comes to mind. Established scientists are taking jobs in Canada and other countries, but many fewer younger scientists and doctoral students are being trained because there is no money. One commenter to a NYT piece said no problem, the billionaires will simply step up and fund private research, which is a problem. They will fund no basic research that the NIH funds, only the research they can monetize. We are losing a decade at least of future scientists.

[LymphocyteLover]

45. Vance will not be worse-- he doesn't control the cult. But otherwise it is all terrible, especially the loss of science

my profession

[hlthe2b]

8. This is really good interpretation....

[dem4decades]

9. Murphy gets it.

[ibegurpard]

11. Yep

Someone's been whispering in Trump's ear to prop up his obsession with tariffs but this is the real play

[CitizenZero]

12. Really Good Analysis

Chris Murphy is one of the best that we have. Smart guy.

[stillcool]

13. thanks for this

I got to head over there. Great splainin!

[Gray Champion]

14. Hear the people sing

Hear the people sing. Clear, concise explanation.

[crud]

15. I like how he referenced the revolutionary times

No taxation without representation. With tariffs and pardons he claims a kings power.

[MayReasonRule]

16. Great Post! Thank You!!!

Here's the thread link y'all...

[wordstroken]

18. This is critical information. Concise, to the point, and easily understood by everyone (well, almost everyone).

Excellent job, Senator Murphy. Let’s hope this message gets out there.

Thanks for posting, sop!

[relayerbob]

19. Absolutely correct. He is trying to cause as much damage as possible

And force the American people to their knees in front of him.

[KT2000]

20. Small businesses will

go down first. Corporations will fill the vacuum.

[pat_k]

21. While the points may be true, I think that to 47 it is simpler than that.

Last edited Thu Apr 3, 2025, 10:12 PM - Edit history (2)

Yes, 47 undoubtedly recognizes his tariffs can be leveraged to bring the powerful to heel, but I don't think that is what is driving his obsession with them.

47 is simpleminded. Taxing great wealth and income to benefit the common weal is an affront to him. His obsession with tax cuts is driving his obsession with tariffs. To him, tariffs represent massive federal revenue. That's all. He has no vision of using tariffs as economic policy. He just sees dollar signs. He views the federal government coffers as the president’s personal piggy bank from which he can dole out benefits to those he sees as peers (other rich guys). That's it. He doesn't care what it does to the economy. In his head, any loss in GDP is just being sucked into the federal coffers. Then it's "his" money to hand out in massive tax cuts for the wealthy.

The worthwhile people (those with great wealth) must keep “their” money (never mind they couldn’t make that money without the support of the public sector, educated workforce, infrastructure, and on and on). No one and nothing else matters.

In his pea brain, the fact his tariffs probably represent the most massive and regressive tax increase in history is a feature, not a bug.

I think he has the same view toward the so-called "savings" from decimating the executive branch. Never mind that the operations of executive agencies represent a very small fraction of the federal budget (don't know who coined it, but from a budgetary perspective, the U.S. government is basically an insurance company with an army). He doesn't care. He sees dollar signs. It’s “his” money and he is absolutely confident “his” Congress with go along with whatever he wants to do with it.

[babylonsister]

25. I would love to know how involved he is

in our current reality and who's really calling the shots.

[Martin68]

22. Krugman had a similar, if more straightforward, analysis.

[Joinfortmill]

23. Just went to Bluesky and read the thread.. Diabolical.. Trump isn't smart enough to figure this out

So, who is behind this? Project 2025 and the Heritage Foundation? This is damn scary, people.

[calimary]

26. A keeper for sure!

[LaRaven]

27. And an even scarier possibility about his rise to 'absolute power'...

he could appoint an ‘heir’ to the throne.

[retread]

28. Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

[CitizenZero]

29. Good Book

Relevant to the current situation.

[Alice Kramden]

30. K&R n/t

[Figarosmom]

31. He wants the world leaders on their

Knees before him, begging him to deal with them, when they wouldn't before. It's worldwide extortion.

[PortTack]

43. Most if not all will not go along. China, Canada, Australia and all of the EU other than Trkiye and Hungary are nos

Which they are so broke, not sure they have money to buy their way out of tariffs

[WhatTheFlux]

32. Baron von Trumphausen

He creates problems which he can then solve for praise or money.

[niyad]

33. KNR and bokmarking.

[LiberalLovinLug]

35. Kick and rec

[Six117]

36. Simply, that thing in the White House is attacking us.

The United States of America is under attack by domestic enemies.

[CTyankee]

37. My senator is getting lots of good press lately...dare I hope he aspires to higher office?

I'd like to see that. He's a really great Senator and should be supported by all good Dems.

[malaise]

38. Kick for the morning crows n/t

[Martin Eden]

39. EXACTLY. Tariffs are EXTORTION.

These tariffs are the tool of a despot, the purpose of which is to compel obedience to his demands.

[WestMichRad]

41. K&R

[malthaussen]

44. His Point #4 is ahistoric.

I wonder where he gets that idea from?

-- Mal

[LymphocyteLover]

47. I think history is full of examples of rulers using taxation as a punishment

[LymphocyteLover]

46. I think this is possible but the problem I see is that how many entities affected will really be able to negotiate with

the WH? It doesn't seem practical except for a few special insiders. That means the vast majority of businesses are screwed