The fearmongers are out again. Like clockwork, the same cast of characters who never lifted a finger when American workers were being gutted by so-called "free trade" deals are now shouting "recession!" because Donald J. Trump dared to say: No more.
What they don’t want you to notice is what’s actually happening.
In just a few short weeks since President Trump re-imposed tariffs on nations that have—for decades—been bilking American consumers, workers, and businesses, more than 50 countries have either begun discussions or formally requested negotiations to avoid these tariffs.
Let me repeat that: more than 50.
That’s not a sign of a policy failure. That’s not an indicator of economic collapse. That’s not the start of a recession. That is, rather clearly, what success looks like.
Trump Isn’t Starting a Trade War—He’s Ending One
It’s important to remember that Trump’s tariffs aren’t the start of a trade war—they’re the first shots fired by an American president who actually intends to end one. For too long, the U.S. has been the punching bag in a one-sided global slugfest. From NAFTA to the WTO, we were told these agreements were all about "free trade," when in fact they were the Trojan horses of economic surrender.
We gave access to our markets. They gave nothing back. We played by the rules. They cheated—on currency, on labor, on environmental regulations, and on outright intellectual theft.
And every administration—Democrat and Republican—rolled over and played dead.
Every administration, that is, except for this one.
President Trump’s trade strategy is not about tariffs. It’s about not needing to use them. The tariffs are the bat in the corner of the room—clean, polished, and ready to swing if necessary. And guess what? The sight of that bat has 50-plus countries suddenly developing a taste for compromise.
Funny how that works.
The Recession Chicken Littles
The “recession” crowd has been running their mouths on every cable network and opinion page since the moment Trump announced his new tariff regime. They’d have you believe that we’re one import tax away from bread lines and soup kitchens.
These people are either stupid—or they think you are.
The same economists and pundits who cheered the outsourcing of your job to Shanghai, the closing of your factory in Michigan, and the importing of goods made with near-slave labor now want you to panic because the United States finally said, "We’d rather not be ripped off anymore."
What these hysterics conveniently ignore is the immediate result of Trump’s tough talk: foreign governments blinking. They’re not retaliating—they’re negotiating. They’re not slapping tariffs of their own—they’re asking how they can remove theirs. They’re not threatening war—they’re bringing olive branches.
That doesn’t sound like the start of a recession. That sounds like leverage. And in the world of global economics, leverage is everything.
The Broken Promise of “Free Trade”
Let’s get honest about the buzzwords. "Free trade" sounds like a good thing—until you realize it’s been anything but free for the American people.
It hasn’t been free for the manufacturing worker who saw his plant moved to Mexico.
It hasn’t been free for the small farmer who couldn’t compete with imported products subsidized by foreign governments.
It hasn’t been free for the American consumer who buys cheap goods from overseas, only to pay the hidden cost of job losses, wage stagnation, and social decay.
And it certainly hasn’t been free for the American taxpayer, who’s left holding the bag for job training programs, food assistance, and the cost of hollowed-out towns turned into economic wastelands.
"Free trade" has been a cruel joke—free for China, free for Vietnam, free for India, but never free for you.
Trump’s Economic Common Sense
What Trump is doing isn’t complicated. He’s telling the world what every good businessperson already knows: If you want access to the best market on Earth, play fair.
No more stealing technology. No more dumping underpriced goods. No more manipulating currency. No more child labor. No more turning a blind eye to human rights abuses just so you can get 3-cent widgets.
You want to trade with us? Great. But the door doesn’t swing just one way anymore.
This isn’t a revolution—it’s just common sense. The kind that D.C. elites have spent a generation trying to erase from the American mind.
The Art of the Deal—On a Global Scale
The tariff talk was never about protectionism—it was about preparation. Trump doesn’t want to use tariffs. He wants to not need to. But in order to reach that point, you have to prove you’re willing to.
And here’s the kicker: It’s working. The proof is in the panic overseas—and the panic in the press rooms.
The countries that took advantage of our generosity are now realizing the good times might be over. They’re coming to the table. And the very fact that they’re coming—some on their knees—is all you need to know about whether this strategy is working.
The media and their pet economists can cry “recession” all they want. They said the same thing in 2017. Then again in 2018. They said the tax cuts would destroy the economy. They said the stock market would tank. They said inflation would spiral. They said peace deals in the Middle East were impossible.
They were wrong then. They’re wrong now.
America First Means American Leverage
We don’t owe the world our markets. We don’t owe them our jobs. We don’t owe them our economic future.
For the first time in decades, we have a president who understands that trade is a two-way street. And if the world doesn’t want to play fair, we have a tool in our back pocket that makes them rethink their entire strategy.
That’s not reckless. That’s responsible.
And if the bat never needs to be swung—if all it takes is for the world to see it resting there in Trump’s grip—then these tariffs will have done exactly what they were supposed to do:
Deliver maximum good—by never even being used.
Kevin McCullough is a nationally syndicated columnist, host of "That KEVIN Show," and contributor at Townhall.com.
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