# WSJ: "House Speaker Ryan Breaks With Trump Over Steel Tariffs"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [March 5, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069 "2018-03-05T19:13:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/21 "2018-03-06T00:38:42Z")

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> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> Making life harder for the business community?

The potential of driving the economy into a severe recession, if not depression, is a little bit broader. It’s a threat to all socio-economic classes if things get really heated.

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**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/22 "2018-03-06T01:53:11Z")

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> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> Did you read the article? They could override a veto with a 2/3 vote which would require the GOP to get Democratic buy-in.

Thanks for filling us in an how the veto override works. :rolleyes:

It’s not at all likely.

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**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/23 "2018-03-06T03:34:57Z")

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> [@DinoR](#):
>
> The potential of driving the economy into a severe recession, if not depression, is a little bit broader. It’s a threat to all socio-economic classes if things get really heated.

True but you risk losing their attention by using terms such as socio-economic. You’ve got to tell it to them in language they will understand: A rising tidal wave sinks all boats.

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**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/24 "2018-03-06T13:20:36Z")

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> [@D\_Anconia](#):
>
> Thanks for filling us in an how the veto override works. :rolleyes:
> 
> It’s not at all likely.

If you knew, why did you ask? I assumed you were from outside the US.

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**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/25 "2018-03-06T13:49:55Z")

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Ryan will cave. The Republican base postulates that Donald is incapable of error, so if he says tariffs, then tariffs it shall be.

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/26 "2018-03-06T14:22:59Z")

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> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> The president only has authority to create tariffs because congress gave the office the authority to do so. They could take that authority away. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/05/paul-ryan-doesnt-want-trumps-trade-war-but-will-he-actually-do-anything-about-it/?utm\_term=.10988dd00281](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/05/paul-ryan-doesnt-want-trumps-trade-war-but-will-he-actually-do-anything-about-it/?utm_term=.10988dd00281)

Thanks. I’ve been wondering about that, and was a bit embarrassed about not knowing the answer.

> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Do you think they’d have a hard time getting enough D votes to override a veto, on a bill to take power away from Trump?

It would be kind of amusing, though, if the Democrats decided not to help out in this instance. 😃

Bad for the country, but amusing to watch. I don’t think the Democrats are that spiteful, so yeah, you’re right.

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**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/27 "2018-03-06T14:54:48Z")

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> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> If you knew, why did you ask? I assumed you were from outside the US.

IIRC, he lives in Galt’s Gulch.

ETA: Oops - Atlantis.

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**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/28 "2018-03-06T14:59:13Z")

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> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> IIRC, he lives in Galt’s Gulch.
> 
> ETA: Oops - Atlantis.

Ah. The GOP is in a real bind, one the one hand they face a president of their own party who is pursuing policies anathema to their core beliefs, on the other, they have demonstrated they have no ability to actually govern.

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**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/29 "2018-03-06T23:34:53Z")

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Top Trump economic advisor quitting over tariffs

[https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/06/politics/gary-cohn-white-house-tariffs/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/06/politics/gary-cohn-white-house-tariffs/index.html)

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**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/30 "2018-03-07T07:27:16Z")

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He’s protecting American jobs, for … Americans - he’s campaigning for 2020.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/31 "2018-03-07T07:43:56Z")

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> [@up\_the\_junction](#):
>
> He’s protecting American jobs, for … Americans - he’s campaigning for 2020.

The problem with that line is that many, many, many more Americans work in industries that buy steel and aluminum. Ford alone employs more people than every steel mill in the USA.

(I guess steel jobs could be a bigger cultural issue than actual economic issue. There are places that haven’t produced coal in a hundred years that still stamp their feet and cheer whenever a politician promises to bring back the mines.)

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**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/32 "2018-03-07T07:44:07Z")

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There is no plan, there was no study. The State Dept wasn’t informed, nor the military, not even the Treasury!

Lot of money gonna change hands, and the hands that it is leaving from will not be pleased. Like as not, it won’t happen, so the only money lost will be due to the shock and dismay of the\* prospect\*, rather than the reality.

But that will _all_ be on Trump. He’s made the worst kind of enemies for a Republican, rich enemies.

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**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/33 "2018-03-07T12:52:40Z")

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Yeah, if tariffs are a good idea, I would think that they would have to be nuanced and targeted to avoid alienating our allies and disrupting the global economy. I would imagine the president would also want to build political consensus and explain his reasoning to the American people. Instead, we got a toilet tweet.

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/34 "2018-03-07T13:44:34Z")

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I’ve said it before here and I’ll gladly say it again: the “base” will only turn against Trump once it’s irrefutable that Trump is making them poorer.

This is the start. Well… the tax bill was the start, but it’s a slow-mover in that it sets up systemic distortions which will take time to blow up. A trade war fought by grandpa developing policy while watching Fox & Friends is a much faster, and globally far worse, than a 2008-style collapse, imho, for the trade war will effect targets randomly, and there are no shortage of trade agreements which could be ripped up and companies/products which could be targeted.

If you’re looking to switch jobs, do it now. Should he continue, this will likely be the high point of the Trump economy.

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**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wsj-house-speaker-ryan-breaks-with-trump-over-steel-tariffs/810069/35 "2018-03-07T14:19:29Z")

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The reactions to Cohn’s departure have been great. From various people on Twitter:

“Gary Cohn is resigning over steel and aluminum tariffs, but he stayed despite Trumps response to Charlottesville (and everything else).”

Parodyinig Mick Mulvaney’s statement about Cohn’s departure: “Not gonna deny he’s a Jew, but he put that aside to work with white supremacists, and I respect that.”

The Onion: “Gary Cohn Resigns In Protest Of Trump’s Bigoted Comments Towards Aluminum”

“Gary Cohn’s legacy: ‘I shot the tariff, but I did not shoot the white supremacy.’”

Wish I could take credit for that last one. 🙂

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