Published September 25, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT

I sat down to create a cartoon on the U.S. automotive industry. It is apparent to most Michiganders that underpriced, government-subsidized, high-quality Chinese EVs are an existential threat to our state's economy. They are the dominant player. According to Rush Doshi, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, China has roughly twice the manufacturing capacity of the United States. It's bigger than the next nine countries combined.

The best strategy would be to build a coalition of allies as trading partners, creating a bulwark against a powerful, overbuilt Chinese automotive industry desperate for new markets. Instead, we have an administration driven by ego and petty grievances that is doing the exact opposite with tariffs and trade wars. The likely result: As our (former) allies are enticed to open their markets, we will eventually be overwhelmed.

That's a lot to fit into a cartoon. And as regular readers are fully aware, I'm not afraid to load you up on multiple panels thick with contextual setup. But this week, I just couldn't seem to simplify to the point of it not seeming like a homework assignment. So I distilled my point to its essence.

I don't think President Trump is stupid. He obviously has skills to manipulate and instinct to cultivate his cult of personality. But I do think he's willfully ignorant, and that's different from stupid. He has the capacity to make better decisions, but he chooses the short-term, self-interest option every time.

Editor's note: John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Public, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.