Mac CR

1. Are tariffs, in the way that Trump has implemented them, good for America?

Donald Trump is using tariffs as a bargaining tool. There is almost nothing that perturbs me more than when people on both the left and the right yammer on about how President Trump is using tariffs recklessly. After the president announced tariffs against Mexico and Canada, he suspended them for a month due to the agreement of both countries to secure their borders and reduce the flow of fentanyl and criminals into the United States. If the president was leveraging these tariffs for no higher purpose, I would say that they were reckless, but these tariffs are meant to bring other countries to the table and agree to assist in the policies the United States is pursuing both domestically and globally. Tariffs may not be the nicest way to make other nations acquiesce to our desired policies, but then again, the president’s job is not to be everyone’s friend.

Trump’s tariffs, not just in the way they have been implemented but in concept, are bad for America. As it stands, there is a world agreement that the leading countries of the world, the teetering and threatened western alliance, will operate with each other on a basis of free trade. That is the deal. By blatantly violating this principle, President Trump is trashing America’s economic credibility, and making us a pariah. There are such things as principles in global politics, the same as the playground. One rule that applies to both is that if you bully your friends, you won’t stay friends for long. That is what President Trump is doing right now.

1. Is the “jus soli” a sensible basis for granting citizenship in our country?

I think that the “jus soli” or the idea of birthright citizenship should be repealed for people who are born in the U.S. whose parents are not here legally. If a person’s parents are not legal citizens of the country, then that person should also not be a citizen of the country. If someone’s parents were born in the U.S., then their children should be citizens by right of birth. While the Supreme Court has recognized birthright citizenship for those born of parents who legally immigrate to the U.S., there is still a legal question on whether or not the child of illegal immigrants can be a citizen by birth. I think that under the current phraseology of the Fourteenth Amendment, children born to illegal parents could be considered U.S. citizens, so the proper way to ameliorate this is not by executive order, but rather a constitutional amendment, which is a bleak hope at the moment. 

Declined to answer

1. Is Elon Musk a hero or a villain?

Neither. I think Musk certainly has some questionable motives, but much of his work is good. I have no problem with reducing unnecessary aid, firing long time bureaucrats, and returning many decisions back to the individual states. Most Americans are ambivalent towards this as well, so I think it a fool’s errand to stake opposition to Trump on defending USAID or the CFPB. If that’s what Democrats think Americans care about, I hope they enjoy staying in the minority for the foreseeable future.

Owen CD

1. Are tariffs, in the way that Trump has implemented them, good for America?

Trump’s tariffs, not just in the way they have been implemented but in concept, are bad for America. As it stands, there is a world agreement that the leading countries of the world, the teetering and threatened western alliance, will operate with each other on a basis of free trade. That is the deal. By blatantly violating this principle, President Trump is trashing America’s economic credibility, and making us a pariah. There are such things as principles in global politics, the same as the playground. One rule that applies to both is that if you bully your friends, you won’t stay friends for long. That is what President Trump is doing right now.

1. Is the “jus soli” a sensible basis for granting citizenship in our country?

I think that the “jus soli” or the idea of birthright citizenship should be repealed for people who are born in the U.S. whose parents are not here legally. If a person’s parents are not legal citizens of the country, then that person should also not be a citizen of the country. If someone’s parents were born in the U.S., then their children should be citizens by right of birth. While the Supreme Court has recognized birthright citizenship for those born of parents who legally immigrate to the U.S., there is still a legal question on whether or not the child of illegal immigrants can be a citizen by birth. I think that under the current phraseology of the Fourteenth Amendment, children born to illegal parents could be considered U.S. citizens, so the proper way to ameliorate this is not by executive order, but rather a constitutional amendment, which is a bleak hope at the moment. 

1. Is Elon Musk a hero or a villain?

Elon Musk is beyond a doubt a Villian. He is an unelected oligarch who, without any mandate, is overruling the decisions of elected officials, blatantly stomping on the law and the Congress, and tearing apart the apparatus of democracy. The Congress sets the budget, that is one of the most basic checks and balances. As of now, Elon Musk is deciding whether or not Congress’s Budget, your budget, gets enacted. Take USAID. Because Musk is illegally shutting down the Agency and spreading blatant lies about what it does, thousands of people will die around the globe in the coming months. Why? Because USAID is why they have food. Interestingly, USAID is also the most popular American program abroad, and its end will be a major blow to our international credibility. Elon Musk is on a mission to destroy the American Government so blatant even Vivek Ramaswamy refused to work with him. Hopefully, even Donald Trump has a limit to what level of villainy he is willing to associate with.