On the campaign trail, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are constantly talking about trade, tariffs and domestic manufacturing.
In many ways, these talking points stem from a single trade deal that transformed the U.S. economy and remade both parties’ relationship with the working class.
Dan Kaufman, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how the North American Free Trade Agreement broke American politics.
Guest: Dan Kaufman (https://www.nytimes.com/by/dan-kaufman) , the author of “The Fall of Wisconsin (https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Fall-of-Wisconsin/) ,” and a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.
Background reading:
• How NAFTA broke American politics (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/03/magazine/nafta-tarriffs-economy-trump-kamala-harris.html) .
• Both Democrats and Republicans are expressing support for tariffs (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/27/us/politics/trump-harris-tariffs.html) to protect American industry, reversing decades of trade thinking in Washington.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily (http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily) . Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts (http://nytimes.com/podcasts) or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
NAFTA? Why you guys always deflect the guilt from the corporate class . NAFTA is always associated to the foreign “ to the others , to the immigrants. Your political myopia is amazing. No t only in your language but in your political perspective.
Too little, too late
I understand now why Trump won twice. I understand why Biden won. Stop sleeping on the workig class. Backbone of America True Americans. Americans have always worked in factories never been lazy. The rich elites have poisoned the psyche of the nation.
The Bourgeois block will ALWAYS defend the interests of Capital over those of average citizens. Dems and GOP are on the same side at the end of the day. Their political conflicts are Kabuki theater.
Excellent analysis. Hope someone listens.