Just as discouraging in all of this has been the absolute lack of backbone by Congress and the Republican party to stand up against things -- other than a few voices. There are actually a lot of gray areas with exactly who can do what on trade (or many issues if you want to get aggressive enough) when it really comes down to it -- but a check in our political system has always been one branch of government at least attempting to push back when things get too rough. They may win, they may lose -- but there is plenty that Congress can do. Trump has been extremely and almost unforeseeably aggressive in how he has politically-legally carried out his tariff war. But in politics just like real life, one can do just about anything if never challenged.

Tons of Republicans seem happy enough to be populists themselves at heart or if not, so scared of losing their precious jobs or making other pathetic excuses that they will not stand up for anything on this. And nobody should fool themselves about plenty of Dems either -- there are many who perhaps disagree with all-things-Trump in public but adhere to the same thinking on trade.

It highlights the absolute lack of overall backbone and leadership we have in Congress that permeates many issues.