Some countries restrict US imports and/or make it difficult to do business there in addition to tariffs, while they freely export to the U.S.  That’s the unbalance.   Yes, making more stuff in the U.S. may raise prices but some of the cost savings from cheap foreign production just goes to extra profits not increased prices.  But yes there is some trade off with higher prices for some things but the up side is more jobs and more products to export.  Once one company outsources cheap labor then they all have to do it to stay competitive and stay profitable.   Perhaps more importantly it makes us more self sufficient.  Being too dependent on foreign products is a huge problem as we saw during Covid.  Nobody including the imports have a problem building cars here and selling them profitably.

So without reciprocal tariffs what leverage do we have to get other countries to give us a more fair trade agreement?  Without leverage there is no negotiating.  And tariffs hit them in their pocketbooks which is most effective.   The other countries won’t let it go that far.  They’ve already asked to negotiate and promised concessions.  The only one that is in any danger of a prolonged battle is China and that’s a completely separate and far more complicated issue.    

I'm thinking its the Slate Truck that was in the thread I posted   I don't think Ford would do a 2 door truck either Just for compairson: A Maverick on a Flatbed tow truck-the CE2 would be roughly the same size   This 2 door looks quite a bit shorter in OL vs the Maverick. 

So here is the problem with all of this-people are fed information from their media about the United States and Trump has been a lightning rod of negative attention for years now...good bad or indifferent. I know random people in the EU that complain about Trump (without being prompted by me) and its a regurgitation of what they've seen from the media, which has its own agenda...but that is whole another story.     People are equating Trump=USA. People also feel powerless because they think the USA has this outsized influence over their country (real or managed) and vent about it.    Much of what is being done is stereotypical Trump's Art of the Deal style, which is further infuriating people.    People are dumb/stupid/assholes and just react to what is feed/given to them, instead of trying to be analytical and actually thinking about what is going on. But no the media just sells everything as a kneejerk reaction. Anyways-what has been going on is change of style in how the US policy is being done (once again good/bad/indifferent) and removal of the status que that some people feel like that the US might have been getting taken advantage of by certain individuals or even groups.    How much is actually changes won't be known till long after Trump is out of office.    

I saw another comment that suggested this could be Ford's skunkworks affordable EV truck. It fits some of the characteristics, small, affordable looking, electric truck with styling not too far off other boxy Ford's, and this was in California, the same state where Ford's skunkworks EVs are being developed.    But I'm not convinced that's true. I believe Fords skunkworks stuff will be more radical looking as implied by Farley, and I doubt Ford would make this truck a 2 door. 

Agreed.  A lot of Ford truck styling in that vehicle.

https://www.carscoops.com/2025/04/is-this-jeff-bezos-25k-electric-pickup-or-something-else/   Boxy, basic, but pretty good looking, especially for the price. Gives me 1980s ranger vibes. 

Not sure if you think I’m an opponent, but for clarity, I am 100% behind reducing deficit and debt, bringing good jobs back to US, increasing manufacturing to promote self reliance and thus national security, limiting government size and spending, etc.  These are all great goals IMO but ideally should be accomplished properly to minimize pain.  Many things accomplished correctly can be great, yet done poorly can be worse than not doing anything at all.   I agree with your previous comments that tariffs can be beneficial, but turning allies into enemies right off the bat seems shortsighted to me.  You ask what is more anti American?  Hopefully nothing, and tariffs are indeed worst case scenario, but what if it leads to global financial crisis, or domestic inflation that is out of control, or very worst case scenario of war?  Of these the most likely pushback IMO is anti-American sentiments that affect our global businesses, credibility, and trust in our financial system.  Personally don’t see need to start negotiations, especially with allies, using harsh and dangerous rhetoric that’s infuriating to the other side unless you have so much leverage over them that you’re guaranteed a victory.  I’m just suggesting that we try winning tariff battles while keeping friends on our side.

Honestly, somebody needs to go to prison with the market manipulation going on. I hope behind the scenes those who can are looking at the buy/sell activity in the hour or 2 before a tweet goes out.   HRG

The only way large scale mfg comes back to the US is if the cost to produce is competitive on the global scale.  You can't build a factory to build only for the US, except for specific markets where the US is 75% of the world consumption (not including industrial equipment).  If mfg does come back the jobs really won't.  Any new plants are going to be highly automated and the jobs won't be "no degree Joe" installing parts, they will be the technical maintenance and engineering / plant management jobs filled by college grads and technical school grads.