How NAFTA Broke American Politics

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The Daily

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are constantly talking about trade, tariffs and domestic manufacturing.

In many ways, these talking points stem from a single trade deal that transformed the U.S. economy and remade both parties’ relationship with the working class.

Dan Kaufman, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how the North American Free Trade Agreement broke American politics.

Guest: Dan Kaufman, the author of “The Fall of Wisconsin,” and a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.

Background reading: 

  • How NAFTA broke American politics.
  • Both Democrats and Republicans are expressing support for tariffs to protect American industry, reversing decades of trade thinking in Washington.

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