Trump's 'outlandish' trade crisis might tip the 2020 election to the Democrats: Conservative columnist

On Friday, Washington Postconservative columnist Jennifer Rubin warned that Trump's "outlandish" trade war with Mexico is "counterproductive" and will negatively impact his base.

Trump announced that he would impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods from Mexico unless they stopped the increase of illegal immigration to the US. He added that the tariffs would continue to increase over time if the flow of immigration does not stop.

"Trump's latest outlandish action essentially concedes that his wall (which he insists is being built as we speak!) has done nothing to address the issue of asylum seekers. That is what anyone who knows much of anything about immigration could have told you since most asylum seekers present themselves at the border," Rubin wrote.

She went onto explain that the GOP can only blame themselves for the trade crisis.

"Red-state Senate Republicans who have refused to claw back trade authority from the president have no one to blame but themselves for yet another potential economic crisis cooked up by Trump. Wall Street Republicans who have continued to back an unfit, lawless president — But tax cuts! — might be in for many hard days as the market reacts to Trump's latest assault on free-market capitalism," she said.

She added, with Trump's base blaming him for the trade crisis, that it might work out in  Democrats’ favor.

"With the economy just about the only thing propping up the Trump presidency (and the Republicans' Senate majority), a Trump-induced trade crisis that slows down the economy, especially in red states, might be just the thing to tip the 2020 election to the Democrats — or suggest to red-state lawmakers that enabling Trump is terrible for their political health. Might Trump's removal before he can do more damage be best for all concerned?" she wrote

Read the full column here.