WASHINGTON (AP) — Few issues could blur the lines of partisanship in Trump-era Washington.
Trade is one of them.
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he’ll impose stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum has labor unions and liberal Democrats in the unusual position of applauding his approach.
Republicans and an array of business groups are warning of dire economic and political consequences if he goes ahead with the trade penalties.
Trade politics often cut along regional, rather than ideological, lines. That’s because politicians reflect the interests of the hometown industries and workers.
But rarely does a debate open so wide a rift between a president and his party — leaving him almost exclusively with support from his ideological opposites.
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