The president of the United States took to Twitter this afternoon to berate Harley-Davidson motorcycles for moving some of their production out of the United States after his impulsive tariffs prompted a huge spike in prices.
The president’s apparent surprise at a move that literally anyone with a basic understanding of how business works could see coming from miles away reveals that he has literally no idea what he’s doing and is dangerously unqualified to have the power that he’s somehow been given by the electoral college.
Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag. I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse – be patient! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2018
The president’s tariffs on European goods prompted the European Union to impose their own retaliatory tariffs on American goods, which hit the Harley-Davidson company particularly hard. The company will be forced to eat as much as $100 million in losses a year over the tariffs, and the price of bikes will jump by $2200.
The move hits some of Trump’s most ardent supporters the hardest – especially the “Bikers for Trump” gang – and is definitely going to be forcing some soul-searching in affluent white suburbs across the nation.
The president’s tweet is clearly aimed at shaming the motorcycle manufacturer and diverting blame off of himself, where it belongs, and onto a company that is simply reacting to shifts in the marketplace.
Maybe this will teach Trump to think twice before playing so recklessly with our economy – but don’t hold your breath.
