Trump's tariff role model

President Trump speaks fondly of William McKinley, the 25th U.S. president who was a strong advocate for tariffs. He's credited with helping to protect the fledgling tinplate industry in the late 19th century. But did the tariff work? We take a closer look at McKinley's tinplate tariff and if it was worth the cost. Related episodes on tariffs: Trump threatens the grim trigger ( Apple / Spotify ) Canada's key resource against Trump's possible trade war ( Apple / Spotify ) Why Trump's potential tariffs are making business owners anxious ( Apple / Spotify ) Trump's contradictory trade policies ( Apple / Spotify ) How Trump's tariff plan might work ( Apple / Spotify ) Worst. Tariffs. Ever. ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newsletter . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy