Does Trump Understand Tariffs? | Interview: Anthony Scaramucci
Sep 1, 2026 · 1h 1m
Summary
Jonah Goldberg interviews Anthony Scaramucci about his new book, *All the Wrong Moves*, which attributes modern political polarization to three key errors: unchecked Chinese trade, unfunded wars, and the 2008 bank bailouts. Scaramucci argues that Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party were parallel populist movements born from these grievances, while Goldberg critiques monocausal explanations for America’s complex problems. The duo also debates the impacts of *Citizens United*, the benefits of the US dollar as the global reserve currency, and the importance of immigration for American innovat…
Topics discussed
Introduction and book overview: All the Wrong Moves
Three key policy errors: China, war, and tax cuts
Populism, Occupy Wall Street, and the Tea Party
Citizens United, gerrymandering, and political polarization
Primary elections, small donors, and party control
Economic inequality, SNAP benefits, and voter anger
Sponsor break: Brooklyn Bedding
The China Shock thesis and WTO entry
Trade deficits, globalization, and fiscal policy
JD Vance, stablecoins, and the dollar's reserve status
Immigration, innovation, and the American story
Trump's understanding of tariffs and grievance politics
Trump's intelligence, populism, and US foreign aid
Host's closing thoughts on Scaramucci and Trump
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