PBS NEWSHOUR: David Brooks of The Atlantic and Jonathan Capehart of MS NOW join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump’s trade war and dispute with Canada.

GEOFF BENNETT, PBS NEWSHOUR: So, the U.S.-Canada trade talks have collapsed. President Trump is imposing 50 percent tariffs on roughly $ 28 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada is now matching them dollar for dollar. This is set to start in a few weeks. Jonathan, we are now in this escalating trade war with one of the country’s closest allies and trading partners. What stands out to you about all of this? JONATHAN CAPEHART, MS NOW: Well, the major thing that stands out to me is that the president is even engaging in this fight that clearly is of no advantage, certainly not to Canadians, but to the American people. How about those folks on states that border Canada, where basically there shouldn’t even be a border? There’s so much cooperation, so much going back and forth. The other thing that stands out to me is that — Canada’s willing to willingness to fight. And this is sort of an outgrowth of Prime Minister Carney and his speech at the World Economic Forum where he laid down the marker, and that was, we can’t be bullied anymore, and we’re not going to be bullied, and we’re going to protect our own interests. And I think the prime minister is doing — he’s putting action behind the words. BENNETT: What about that? Has President Trump finally found a trading partner willing to call his bluff? DAVID BROOKS, THE ATLANTIC: Yes, we’re — it’s another of his forever wars. This one’s a trade war. My friends at The Wall Street Journal editorial page called this the dumbest trade war in the history of trade wars, and I think that’s about right. Economically, it makes no sense. Aluminum prices are up 40 percent. Steel prices are up 22 percent. Politically, it makes no sense. Who’s getting hammered here? General Motors. General Motors has lost $ 2.5 billion because of the tariffs. Ford. Ford has a truck plant in Ontario. This is Michigan. Michigan is a swing state. It’s insane to be attacking… CAPEHART: How about Maine? BROOKS: Maine too. I mean, you’re going after all your swing states. And then, to me, even most reprehensibly, it’s just morally shameful. Like, friends don’t humiliate and try to intimidate their friends. It’s like we’re a big bully, and we think we’re just going to render someone undignified and humiliated. It’s like the economic spirit of Abu Ghraib. And the Canadians have no choice but to stand up. They couldn’t have self-respect as a country if they didn’t stand up. Every time there’s some progress towards some deal, Trump says something about the Lake of America, and then the Canadian politicians have to say no. And so, on every single front, this is like as dumb as dumb can be.

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