Overview

• James Carville's New York Times op-ed describes President Trump's tariff strategy as a deliberate act of economic warfare, causing widespread market instability and rising prices.
• Carville warns that the tariffs risk plunging the U.S. economy into a painful recession, with surging mortgage rates and weakened consumer spending already evident.
• The op-ed claims Trump's actions violate a fundamental political principle: never destabilize the economy, framing the tariffs as one of the most misguided political decisions in U.S. history.
• Carville argues that the economic fallout presents a strategic opening for Democrats to reclaim the economic narrative by focusing on issues most pressing to Americans.
• He advises Democrats to avoid distractions and prioritize addressing the economic pain caused by the tariffs to strengthen their political position.