What the Very Stable Genius is doing - blaming a private company for reacting to government intervention in the free market - is essentially just what the Most Equal Comrade did

The VSG, never one to hesitate before tweeting in response to what seems to him to be an affront, let loose with bluster-filled and economically ignorant outbursts today about Harley-Davidson:

A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never! Their employees and customers are already very angry at them. If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end - they surrendered, they quit! The Aura will be gone and they will be taxed like never before!

Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag. I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse - be patient! #MAGA

The thug factor is on full display here as well. (Another example just today of that was his unnecessary weigh-in on the Maxine Waters situation: "Be careful what you wish for, Max." But, you know, "he fights.")

Ben Shapiro at Daily Wire points out that, while the subject was health insurance on his watch, the basic principle is the same: blaming private companies for doing what makes economic sense in the face of government intervention:

Trump’s attacks on Harley-Davidson are nearly indistinguishable from Obama-era attacks on American companies who had to cut jobs and hours thanks to Obamacare. Barack Obama himself participated in this tactic, slamming large companies for taking cost-cutting measures to deal with the additional obligations of Obamacare: “when I hear large corporations that make billions of dollars in profits trying to blame our interest in providing health insurance as an excuse for cutting back workers’ wages, shame on them.” He singled out Staples for his ire:

I haven’t looked at Staples stock lately or what the compensation of the CEO is, but I suspect that they could well afford to treat their workers favorably and give them some basic financial security, and if they can’t, then they should be willing to allow those workers to get the Affordable Care Act without cutting wages.

Big government advocates will always blame private industry for the failures of government interventionism. Tariffs are big government. And big government has consequences. Attacking companies responding to market conditions is a pathetic way of avoiding responsibility for those consequences.

Jeff Cox at CNBC says that the investment markets are likewise reeling from the inconsistency coming out of the administration's trade shop:

They may have to start passing out neck braces on trading floors if the White House's contradictions on trade policies continue much longer.

Investors are getting whiplash from watching the back-and-forth happening among Trump administration officials who can't seem to agree on a trade policy. Monday's action featured a series of mixed messages about President Donald Trump's latest trade-related threat, resulting in volatile market action and confusion and frustration in the financial markets.

"I don't think the people in the White House have an ideal path for the way this is going to go. They're trying lots of different things," said Rob Lutts, chief investment officer and president of Cabot Money Management. "I actually believe they're making this up as they go along."

When there is no rudder, the boat lists and the sails flap in the breeze.