"The greatest thing ever invented": Tariffs become Trump's miracle cure

Donald Trump's fixation with tariffs has become an obsession — a policy panacea he claims will fuel a manufacturing boom, lower grocery prices, cut the deficit, stop wars, pay for tax breaks and even solve the child care crisis.

"Tariffs are the greatest thing ever invented," the former president declared at a town hall in Michigan last week.

Why it matters: The impact of Trump's plan to impose massive tariffs — with or without the support of Congress — has become the single biggest economic question of the 2024 election.

Vice President Harris sees the issue as fertile ground to close Trump's polling edge on the economy and hammer him over proposals that mainstream economists say would reignite inflation.