Apple, General Motors, John Deere and Facebook have at least two things in common: They’re iconic US companies and they’ve faced the wrath of former President Donald Trump. Trump, more so than any American president in modern history, has directly targeted individual US businesses, threatening them with everything from boycotts and canceled federal contracts to unthinkably high tariffs.
“It can create dangerous incentives for corrupt decisions by presidents who act for political reasons rather than economic reasons,” Zelizer said, adding that Trump’s tactics are a “fundamental contradiction with conservative philosophy.” ‘Definition of insane’ Trump raised eyebrows by threatening to impose 200% tariffs on Deere if the company goes forward with plans to lay off staff in the Midwest and move some production to Mexico by the end of 2026.