meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
The James Altucher Show

The Truth about Tariffs: The Ultimate Guide to Busting Inflation Myths

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Society & Culture, Talk Radio, Writer, Philosophy, Comedy, Chess, How To, Entrepreneurship, Jay, James, The James Altucher Show, Altucher, Author, Jay Yow, Education, Jay The Engineer, Business, James Altucher

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Notes from James: I’ve been seeing a ton of misinformation lately about tariffs and inflation, so I had to set the record straight. People assume tariffs drive prices up across the board, but that’s just not how economics works. Inflation happens when money is printed, not when certain goods have price adjustments due to trade policies. I explain why the current tariffs aren’t a repeat of the Great Depression-era Smoot-Hawley Tariff, how Trump is using them more strategically, and what it all means for the economy. Also, a personal story: my wife’s Cybertruck got keyed in a grocery store parking lot—just for being a Tesla. I get into why people’s hatred for Elon Musk is getting out of control. Let me know what you think—and if you learned something new, share this episode with a friend (or send it to an Econ professor who still doesn’t get it). Episode Description: James is fired up—and for good reason. People are screaming that tariffs cause inflation, pointing fingers at history like the Smoot-Hawley disaster, but James says, “Hold up—that’s a myth!” Are tariffs really bad for the economy? Do they actually cause inflation? Or is this just another economic myth that people repeat without understanding the facts? In this episode, I break down the truth about tariffs—what they really do, how they impact prices, and why the argument that tariffs automatically cause inflation is completely wrong. I also dive into Trump's new tariff policies, the history of U.S. tariffs (hint: they used to fund almost the entire government), and why modern tariffs might be more strategic than ever. If you’ve ever heard that “tariffs are bad” and wanted to know if that’s actually true—or if you just want to understand how trade policies impact your daily life—this is the episode for you. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Tariffs and Inflation 00:47 Personal Anecdote: Vandalism and Cybertrucks 03:50 Understanding Tariffs and Inflation 05:07 Historical Context: Tariffs in the 1800s 05:54 Defining Inflation 07:16 Supply and Demand: Price vs. Inflation 09:35 Tariffs and Their Impact on Prices 14:11 Money Printing and Inflation 17:48 Strategic Use of Tariffs 24:12 Conclusion: Tariffs, Inflation, and Social Commentary What You’ll Learn: Why tariffs don’t cause inflation—and what actually does (hint: the Fed’s magic wand).   How the U.S. ran on tariffs for a century with zero inflation—history lesson incoming!   The real deal with Trump’s 2025 tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and chips—strategy, not chaos.   Why Smoot-Hawley was a depression flop, but today’s tariffs are a different beast.   How supply and demand keep prices in check, even when tariffs hit.   Bonus: James’ take on Cybertruck vandals and why he’s over the Elon Musk hate. Quotes: “Tariffs don’t cause inflation—money printing does. Look at 2020-2022: 40% of all money ever, poof, created!”   “If gas goes up, I ditch newspapers. Demand drops, prices adjust. Inflation? Still zero.”   “Canada slaps 241% on our milk—we’re their biggest customer! Trump’s just evening the score.”   “Some nut keyed my wife’s Cybertruck. Hating Elon doesn’t make you a hero—get a life.” Resources Mentioned: Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (1930) – The blanket tariff that tanked trade.   Taiwan Semiconductor’s $100B U.S. move – Chips, national security, and no price hikes.   Trump’s March 4, 2025, tariffs – Mexico, Canada, and China in the crosshairs. James'...

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

A lot of people are saying tariffs cause inflation. People bring up how during the Great Depression,

0:06.0

there was this smooth holly tariff which maybe really hurt the economy and the depression got bigger.

0:12.0

So I just want to quickly describe why tariffs actually have nothing to do with inflation. And

0:19.9

chances are they are not a bad thing and it remains to be

0:24.3

seen whether they're going to be a good or great thing let's just go over the basics a little bit

0:30.4

this isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

0:39.2

This is the James Altiger Show.

0:47.2

Something interesting happened yesterday, which is that my wife, she was grocery shopping,

0:53.7

and she left her car in the parking lot and her car was keyed by

0:58.4

somebody while she was in the grocery store, meaning someone scraped their key across the door and

1:02.5

created a mark. And my wife, Robin, she has a cyber truck. And so I guess this person, whoever keyed her car, either really hates

1:14.9

cyber trucks or, as I suspect is more likely the case, hates Elon Musk. So decided that all

1:24.7

cyber trucks or Tesla's, they were just going to key randomly.

1:28.4

Like that would maybe send a message.

1:30.3

Like anybody who has a Tesla represents Elon Musk's political beliefs.

1:34.4

So there's obviously this is a crazy thing.

1:37.5

I don't think this is the average person.

1:39.2

But I am noticing this kind of behavior more and more.

1:43.0

Like one time my wife was telling me just a week ago

1:46.8

that she was parking right next to somebody else. And that person, when they saw it as a cyber

1:51.2

truck, pulled out of the spot that she was already parking in and parked across the lot and glared

1:56.7

at my wife when they're walking in the store at the same time. So people hate Elon Musk so much

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -25 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from James Altucher, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of James Altucher and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.