I like the fact that "Trump" kept the details of the tariff from all the other departments of his government so they wouldn't be able to provide input. Working like a finely tuned machine!

Who to blame? Rob'n'Hope, of course!

A number of senior administration officials believe one catalyst for the problems was the sudden departure of staff secretary Rob Porter, who left the White House several weeks ago amid allegations of abuse by his two ex-wives.

Porter was part of an exodus of advisers who had worked to try to keep Trump focused and away from his protectionist instincts. They had prevented him from ripping apart trade agreements and imposing major tariffs on other countries, even U.S. allies such as Canada and Germany.

Porter tried to streamline decisions and corral divergent views into joint meetings, a challenge in a White House that has secret alliances and a flair for sensationalism. There was a weekly meeting on trade that included top advisers and tried to ensure there would not be surprises or brash decisions. Porter, these officials said, often presented the consensus views of the group or gave Trump recommendations.

When Porter left, this process largely broke down, the officials said. Complicating matters, Porter had been dating White House communications director Hope Hicks, a longtime Trump aide who is one of the most influential members of the president’s inner circle and who announced Wednesday that she would also be leaving her job.

Bitching about trade was very much in the interest of the businesses that preferred to blame foreign competition instead of modernizing their plants since at least the mid-80's FFS.

Isn't that in Jared's portfolio?