One key voter demographic that helped put Donald Trump back in the White House may end up being a major thorn in his side by the end of the year, according to one expert.
In a Tuesday segment on MSNBC's Deadline: White House, Atlantic staff writer Derek Thompson (who authored the bestselling book "Abundance") said Trump's tariffs on Chinese-made toys in particular could prove to be the most politically self-destructive element of his agenda. Thompson illustrated his point by comparing the 145% China tariffs with other trade duties imposed for national security purposes.
"We're talking here about semiconductors, computer chips. Maybe we're talking about parts that are critical to the clean energy economy. Maybe we're talking about parts that are critical for aerospace or for auto manufacturing, for really important tools and technologies that might help Americans move stuff around the country or even defend ourselves," Thompson said. "Certainly when we're talking about, say, shipbuilding, that's critical to our national security. What are we talking about here? We're talking about Elsa dolls."
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"Why is this even on the table?" Thompson continued. "Let's say that I was a MAGA conservative, and deep down, what I wanted was to re-shore as much American industry as possible in areas critical to our national security. Why on earth would I ever tariff toys?"
According to Thompson, Trump could end up throwing a wrench in the works for his plan to revitalize the American manufacturing sector by taxing something that "American suburban moms" want to buy for their children. Trump's recent suggestion that parents buy less toys and pencils for their children due to the higher cost of goods has resulted in widespread revulsion from both liberals and conservatives alike.
"Right now, the president's plan seems to be to destroy Hanukkah and Christmas — yes, I celebrate both — to make it as easy as possible for the mom lobby to absolutely destroy ... this re-shoring of manufacturing. It's totally braindead," Thompson said. "Even if you try to evaluate the policy on the stated terms of the Trump administration, you would just never want to tariff Elsa dolls for the purpose of re-shoring semiconductors. There's no part of the computer chip manufacturing process that begins with putting the white hair inside of the Elsa doll.
"Americans should just get cheap toys," he added. "We should design them here. We should build them in China and Vietnam and Bangladesh. Those jobs are there. Those factories are there. Those processes, those tacit understandings of how to make toys are all over there."
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Watch the full segment below, or by clicking this link.