If this all seems a bit far-fetched, well, that’s because it is.
In this Jan. 14, 2015 photo, Chinese customs officials inspect cars being loaded for export at a port in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province. China said Thursday, May 24, 2018, that it will "firmly defend" its rights and interests against what it calls the Trump administration's abuse of national security provisions in trade. The Commerce Ministry's response came after the Trump administration launched an investigation into whether tariffs are needed on automobile imports on national security grounds. (Chinatopix via AP)
On Wednesday evening, Trump instructed the Commerce Department to investigate whether to raise tariffs to up to 25 percent on auto imports.
