--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Donald Trump is not a protectionist. If…" description: "\"Donald Trump is not a protectionist. If he imposes tariffs on China or any other country that cheats, all he wants to do is defend America against unfa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/peter-navarro-10165_america_donald-trump-is-not-a-protectionist-if-h_1553348.jpg" --- # Donald Trump is not a protectionist. If he imposes tariffs… ![“Donald Trump is not a protectionist. If he imposes tariffs on China or any other country that cheats, all he wants to do is defend America against unfair trade practices.” quote by Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/peter-navarro-10165_america_donald-trump-is-not-a-protectionist-if-h_1553348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/peter-navarro-10165_america_donald-trump-is-not-a-protectionist-if-h_1553348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/peter-navarro-10165_america_donald-trump-is-not-a-protectionist-if-h_1553348.jpg) > “Donald Trump is not a protectionist. If he imposes tariffs on China or any other country that cheats, all he wants to do is defend America against unfair trade practices.” [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trump’s tariffs are framed as defense, not protectionism. **In simple terms:** Tariffs are presented as defending fair trade. Key Takeaway Scrutinize policy motives beyond rhetoric. Themes trade politics policy framing Mood analytical critical Type political economic When to use this quote - import regulation - international negotiations - domestic politics Key Concepts economic strategy nationalism Questions to Reflect On - What are the real effects of tariffs? - How can fair trade be ensured? A Different Perspective Tariffs may still harm domestic consumers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Fair trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-trade/) [Tariffs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tariffs/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) ## Related quotes > [Tariffs are in the end taxes. And somebody has to pay that tax. I think one thing people are forgetting is that trade disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-ip/tariffs-are-in-the-end-taxes-and-somebody-has-to-pay-that-tax-i-think/) [Greg Ip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-ip/) > [If there ever was a time for a cool, rational and unemotional series of responses on the part of people in Europe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/if-there-ever-was-a-time-for-a-cool-rational-and-unemotional-series/) [Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/) > [The really big problem with China is that there are the unfair trade practices, like currency manipulation, illegal export subsidies and the theft of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/the-really-big-problem-with-china-is-that-there-are-the-unfair-trade/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [My fellow economists and academics fail to understand the economics of trade in the real world. Traditional models of academia respect free trade without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/my-fellow-economists-and-academics-fail-to-understand-the-economics/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [Unfair trade practices drive up rents for younger people. They will drive up home prices for first-time home-buyers. So it's not just that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/unfair-trade-practices-drive-up-rents-for-younger-people-they-will/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [The policy goal is to persuade China to stop cheating. But here's what's interesting - Donald Trump intuitively understands what things should be. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/the-policy-goal-is-to-persuade-china-to-stop-cheating-but-here-s-what/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [We're already in a trade war with China. The problem is we've not been fighting back. Trump, through tariffs, wants to call a truce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/we-re-already-in-a-trade-war-with-china-the-problem-is-we-ve-not-been/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [“A strong Protectionist, believes In everything but Heaven. For entertainment, dines, receives, Unmarried, 57.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/a-strong-protectionist-believes-in-everything-but-heaven-for/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [We can do a much better job free of protectionist Europeans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priti-patel/we-can-do-a-much-better-job-free-of-protectionist-europeans/) [Priti Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priti-patel/) > [Protectionist politicians cannot stand the notion of a fossil-fuel-rich America maintaining record levels of production through exports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pompeo/protectionist-politicians-cannot-stand-the-notion-of-a-fossil-fuel/) [Mike Pompeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pompeo/) > [Britain should not be held back by the E.U.'s protectionist stance which keeps so many developing countries from growing their economies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-mordaunt/britain-should-not-be-held-back-by-the-e-u-s-protectionist-stance/) [Penny Mordaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-mordaunt/) > [We can't put up a protectionist dam on our own against the neo-liberal world market either. However, we can try, together with our European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-huizinga/we-can-t-put-up-a-protectionist-dam-on-our-own-against-the-neo/) [Johan Huizinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-huizinga/) > [China is the most protectionist country of the very large countries. They talk more about free trade than they actually practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-ross/china-is-the-most-protectionist-country-of-the-very-large-countries/) [Wilbur Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-ross/) > [Look at trade and automation: two competing but slightly overlapping forces in the shrinking of the duration of jobs right now. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-sasse/look-at-trade-and-automation-two-competing-but-slightly-overlapping/) [Ben Sasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-sasse/) > [The United States is the least protectionist country in the world but has the largest trade deficit, while other countries are highly protectionist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-ross/the-united-states-is-the-least-protectionist-country-in-the-world-but/) [Wilbur Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-ross/) ## More by Peter Navarro > [I don't know why so many people in America hate Hillary Clinton; I found her to be one of the most gracious, intelligent, perceptive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/i-don-t-know-why-so-many-people-in-america-hate-hillary-clinton-i/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [During a campaign, the trick is to spend no more than 15 to 30 seconds with anyone and to keep moving so that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/during-a-campaign-the-trick-is-to-spend-no-more-than-15-to-30-seconds/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [One of the principles of the Trump administration is that we will never sacrifice our economy on the altar of foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/one-of-the-principles-of-the-trump-administration-is-that-we-will/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [When we run these big trade deficits and send our jobs offshore, we hold our wages down and our income down. 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Well, more than half of money in election comes from corporate interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/politicians-need-money-at-election-time-and-money-to-get-the-vote/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [I teach MBAs. And I noticed, starting a few years after China joined the World Trade Organization, that a lot of my students were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/i-teach-mbas-and-i-noticed-starting-a-few-years-after-china-joined/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [In my movie, "Death By China," it shows Bill Clinton in 2000 promising that when China got into the World Trade Organization we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/in-my-movie-death-by-china-it-shows-bill-clinton-in-2000-promising/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [Let me say right off the bat that I'm not what you would call a 'tree hugger' or a 'bushes and bunnies' environmentalist out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/let-me-say-right-off-the-bat-that-i-m-not-what-you-would-call-a-tree/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [There's a natural antipathy on the part of the voters to a continuation of globalization as we know it. It's simply a code word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/there-s-a-natural-antipathy-on-the-part-of-the-voters-to-a/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [The best way to lift people out of poverty and boost wages is to grow our GDP faster. While Trump is open to raising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/the-best-way-to-lift-people-out-of-poverty-and-boost-wages-is-to-grow/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) [Explore all 67 Peter Navarro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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