Trump and tariffs: A lifetime together

Years go by, and President Donald Trump has not changed his views on some issues such as tariffs. An article published on Sept. 2, 1987 in The New York Times, The Washington Post and in the Boston Globe shows how the Republican, who at the time was a young businessman with no political aspirations, called for tariffs to be applied to several countries around the world.

"There's nothing wrong with America's Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone can't cure," Trump wrote in the article for which, according to the AP, he paid more than $94,000 to have published in the NYT.

It was basically an open letter from Donald J. Trump addressed to Americans about why the U.S. should stop paying to defend countries that can afford to defend themselves.

Trump: The United States has been taken advantage of

"For decades, Japan and other nations have been taking advantage of the United States (...) The saga continues unabated as we defend the Persian Gulf, an area of only marginal significance to the United States for its oil supplies, but one upon which Japan and others are almost totally dependent," highlighted the article signed by the now U.S. president.

"Why are these nations not paying the United States for the human lives and billions of dollars we are losing to protect their interests?" he added.

Similarly, Trump criticized the political class and argued that, in his view, the world was making fun of American politicians.

"The world is laughing at America's politicians as we protect ships we don't own, carrying oil we don't need, destined for allies who won't help," Trump stressed.

"'Tax' these wealthy nations, not America," suggested Trump. "End our huge deficits, reduce our taxes, and let America's economy grow unencumbered by the cost of defending those who can easily afford to pay us for the defense of their freedom," he insisted.

"Let's not let our great country be laughed at any more," Trump concluded in the article that generated speculation about his foray into politics at the time. However, the businessman's spokesman in that year, Daniel Klores, denied that he wanted to start his political career at that time.