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Nobel laureate claims Trump's tariffs on Brazil politically motivated

In Krugman's opinion, the measures unveiled by Trump are also arguments for opening impeachment proceedings against him

American Economist Paul Krugman, a New Keynesian expert who once received the Nobel Prize, has been heavily critical of President Donald Trump, saying that the Republican leader was “evil and megalomaniacal” after the 50% tariffs imposed on all Brazilian products and insisted the measure reverberated in his own country.

Krugman, a columnist for The New York Times and a former professor of economics at MIT and Princeton University, pointed out that “I usually don’t do evening posts. […] But Trump’s latest letter, imposing a 50% tariff on Brazil, marks a new departure, and I think merits a special bulletin. After all, it’s both evil and megalomaniacal,” he wrote in a post entitled Trump’s Dictator Protection Program – Using tariffs to fight democracy.

The expert said there were no economic reasons to justify such a move, describing it as an attempt to get [former President] Jair Bolsonaro off the hook for attempting a coup d’état.

“Notice that Trump barely even pretends that there’s an economic justification for this action. This is all about punishing Brazil for putting Jair Bolsonaro on trial,” he wrote in his blog.

“Bolsonaro, as most readers probably know, is Brazil’s previous president, who lost the last election —but tried to stay in power through a coup overturning that election. Of course, that sounds familiar,” the text reads.

Krugman refers to the episode of the storming of the Capitol in 2021 by supporters of Donald Trump after his defeat at the polls by Joe Biden. The invaders were convicted in 2023, but Trump granted them a presidential pardon at the start of his second term.

In his message to the Brazilian government, Trump showed concern about freeing his political ally from conviction in the investigation targeting him at the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

“The way Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a highly respected leader around the world during his term, including the United States, is an international shame. This trial should not be taking place. It’s a witch hunt that should be over immediately!” Trump argued.

In Krugman’s view, Trump is a “wannabe dictator” who is trying to help others like him. “Now Trump is trying to use tariffs to help another wannabe dictator. If you still thought America was one of the world’s good guys, this should tell you whose side we’re on these days,” he claimed.

The US economist uses 2022 data from the World Trade Organization showing that Brazil has China as its largest trading partner, with 26.8% of its exported products. The US comes in with 11.4%.

“Does Trump really imagine that he can use tariffs to bully a huge nation, which isn’t even very dependent on the US market, into abandoning democracy?” he asked.

In the Nobel laureate’s opinion, the measures unveiled by Trump are also arguments for opening impeachment proceedings against him. (Source: Agencia Brasil)