‘He looks tough but isn’t’: Oopsie, Adam Kinzinger just spilled Donald Trump’s secret sauce

Donald Trump works pretty hard to project an image of an imposing world leader, willing to put his own country first no matter the cost. But that’s all a ruse; in reality, he’s not so tough, and Adam Kinzinger knows exactly what the president’s weakness is.

It seems all we’ve been hearing about these last two months is the impending tariffs, which Trump promises will be good for the U.S. economy, despite what experts are saying. Last month, he threatened 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, although he ultimately held off on implementing them, giving a month-long reprieve. However, he’s promised that the tariffs will go into effect on April 2nd.

Adam Kinzinger knows Trump’s secret

Of course, Kinzinger is willing to let us all in on a little secret about the president and his precious tariffs. It’s a scare tactic – a way to look tough to other countries by threatening to use them, all the while being frightened to death of using them himself. This shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise; we all know Trump isn’t as tough as he wants the world to believe — remember when he got bullied by Elon Musk’s toddler?

Here’s the secret on Trump and tariffs: he gets to look tough by threatening them but he’s scared to death to use them or honestly, to actually do anything. This is why he only picks on our friends because he looks tough but isn’t.
Also: pic.twitter.com/JaoIWjAu3x

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) March 10, 2025

I love the fact that Kinzinger threw in the picture of the carton of eggs for extra shade – remind me how any of Trump’s tariffs are supposed to make life easier for the average American, again? So far, things are just looking like they’ll be getting a whole lot more expensive. Trump literally went from promising cheaper groceries to bringing the U.S. into a recession within the space of two months. He hasn’t done anything of note so far, aside from pushing U.S. allies away, cutting military aid to Ukraine, and turning the clock back on recent progressive developments in the country.

What will happen with Trump’s tariffs?

Clearly, Kinzinger thinks that Trump’s tariffs are just one big bluff, and while it’s a somewhat- comforting thought, we cannot underestimate how stupid the president actually is. Right now, Trump is toying with the possibility of a trade war with America’s allies, as both Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliatory tariffs, and China has also hit U.S. farm goods with tariffs as of today, March 10. 

So far his trade policies have been a disaster, and people are starting to worry. If (and this is a big if) Trump is smart enough to see past his own bravado and see how risky this strategy is, then he should definitely be scared of actually using his tariffs. Trump can lie about the effectiveness of tariffs all he wants, but he can’t keep lying if he tanks the economy. 

The only benefit to this brash action is its potential use as a negotiating tactic, but this isn’t a long-term solution. The president will either have to make good on his threats or negotiate a more amicable solution for everybody soon. Maybe this is why, as Kinzinger put it, “he only picks on our friends,” because that way, he gets to look big and threatening without fully implementing his insane trade policies. Either way, Kinzinger’s is only one of many instances of proof that Trump is an idiot and a coward.