By erecting tariffs and threatening to tear up trade agreements, President Donald Trump has done more to achieve one of the left's longstanding policy goals than any other modern president.

For the Democrats running for office in 2020, this creates a conundrum: They can't say they like what Trump is doing, but they're also not really willing to criticize his trade war. In fact, many of the 2020 Democratic candidates are espousing protectionist views that sound a lot like what Trump was saying in 2016.

The Democrats are essentially arguing that all we need is a more competent protectionist in the White House. But there's no way to "correctly" implement policies that stop individuals from peacefully exchanging goods and services, just because they live in different countries. Whether imposed by Trump or by Bernie Sanders, these ideas are a catastrophe for all Americans.

Written by Eric Boehm. Produced and edited by Mark McDaniel.

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