Trump touts tariffs as a budget fix. But the brutal truth is ‘they’re very weak’ and barely dent the $39 trillion national debt

For President Donald Trump, tariffs, not just the idea but also the emotional response, make it “the most beautiful word” in the English language. For him, the beauty of tariffs lie in their supposed ability to solve the country’s biggest financial problems, serving as both a replacement for income tax and a fix to the country’s towering federal deficit. Yet that cure may be more of an illusion than a solution, as experts say tariffs are a faulty revenue-making device.

“As a revenue tool...