The Don of Pennsylvania Avenue

You don’t have to squint anymore; America under Donald Trump isn’t acting like a democracy. It’s acting like a mafia.

While it may seem that President Trump’s tariffs are meant to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., the truth is far less virtuous.

Imagine running a business that depends on public roads to move your goods. One day, your trucks are hijacked and your cargo disappears into a hidden warehouse. To get it back, you have to pay a mafia Don. You could go to the police, but they’re in on it, too. So you pay up. And next time, you'd better make sure your raw materials come from vendors the Don approves of. Just like that, your future belongs to him.

That’s how Trump’s tariff scam works. If you want to do business with the U.S., you’d better pay the Don. And pay his friends. And don’t forget to kiss the ring. The Don likes it when you kiss his ring.

The country of Lesotho is now trying to play the game. To ease their tariffs, they’re signing a 10-year contract with Starlink, run by one of the Don’s buddies. Will that bring relief? Maybe. Bangladesh tried the same thing. They agreed to purchase Starlink services as well as American cotton. Yet, they still got slammed with a 37% tariff. Maybe they didn’t grovel enough. That’s the point. The rules change. Obedience isn’t rewarded. Fear is the goal because it maintains tight control.

Bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. was never the goal. Trump knows you can’t rebuild supply chains and infrastructure overnight. Tariffs, on the other hand, work instantly, and they enrich those in his inner circle. So, there will be no new factories; just a global shake-down.

Trump’s tariffs are a protection racket, plain and simple. And with the world’s most powerful military at his disposal, the Don at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has plenty of muscle to back him up.

If we don’t call this what it is—and stop it—we won’t be choosing leaders anymore. We’ll be living under whichever wise guy sits in the big chair.

Originally published in The Frontline Progressive, May 7, 2025