MAGA Vs Libertarians: Peter Schiff and America-First Economist Face Off On Tariffs

Is Trump in the process of a brilliant negotiation or attempting to permanently raise tariffs in a painful bid to restore American manufacturing? Are you willing to pay higher prices so Americans have jobs, so the U.S. is economically independent from other countries?

As that internal debate rages within his cabinet, tonight will see a free trade libertarian clash with a protectionist MAGA economist:

Visit the ZeroHedge homepage tonight at 7pm ET for our live Tariff Debate, with die-hard Austrian Peter Schiff facing off against Spencer Morrison, editor-in-chief of National Economics Editorials. The debate will be moderated by friend of ZH George Gammon, host of the Rebel Capitalist podcast.

While often allied on foreign policy, see how each camp differs on this key economic question.

The Libertarian View: Trade Benefits All

It’s not the consumer who holds the cards but the producer, and buying cheap products from other countries that specialize in making them allows Americans to live beyond their means, Schiff would argue. Plus the current regulatory environment — minimum wage, high taxes, strict labor liability laws — make it very costly to do business in the U.S. which high tariffs does not change.

Tariffs harm Americans more than the countries they are aimed at, he argues. Schiff’s prediction: major pain incoming to the U.S. dollar and the American consumer.

The MAGA View: We Are Being Ripped Off

We hear Trump say that other countries are “ripping us off” given the U.S. has large trade deficits and often lopsided tariffs or import regulations. The attitude from the MAGA camp — now echoed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others — is that access to the wealthy American consumer is a privilege that other countries should pay for.

Tonight’s debater Morrison, author of “Reshore”, says that “tariffs are the price foreigners must pay to sell their goods in America”.

Rather than maximizing economic efficiency, Morrison advocates that economic policy “serve the American people—our security, wellbeing, and natural environment.”

We’ll see you tonight at 7pm ET.