Tariffs (thread 3), Episode 16: Ross Perot’s Charts: The Man Who Saw NAFTA’s Fallout Coming

Remember Ross Perot? He wasn’t just the loud guy with the giant charts; he was one of the first to warn that free trade could hollow out towns and jobs, and he said it with spreadsheets instead of slogans.

His blend of technocratic anger and plain-speaking populism helps explain why today’s tariff fights feel both familiar and messy — part policy debate, part long-delayed political payback. Listen, the man didn’t get everything right, but he sure spotted a trend early.