Trade Is An Identity Issue, And Trump Knows It
There's little question that when President Trump holds a rally in Moon Township, Penn., Saturday night he will tout the tariffs he imposed on imported steel and aluminum this week.
Western Pennsylvania is steel country, after all, so his message should play well there. But it will likely resonate with millions of other Americans, well beyond steel plants.
That's because, on top of all the economic implications of new tariffs, trade is also an identity issue. That doesn't mean it's overtly a race or gender issue, as the phrase "identity politics" tends to evoke — rather, it taps into a specific idea of what it means to be American. That identity is loaded with nostalgia and emotion, which together have been at the core of Trump's message since day one and appealed to
