The proposed legislation, reportedly ordered by the president personally, would provide him with "a license to raise tariffs at will, without Congressional consent," according to the Axios news website, which said it had obtained a draft of the bill. Economists immediately warned that the proposed legislation would spark a devastating full-blown global trade war if it passed.
However, most Twitter users seemed more keen on coming up with jokes, smelling something rotten with the bill's name.
After being ridiculed for his proposed FART (Fair And Reciprocal Tariff) act, President Trump is urged to rename several others: pic.twitter.com/IkJYzdhJ8H
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) July 2, 2018
If you ever needed any *more* evidence that the Trump administration NEVER thinks anything through, allow me to point out the upcoming United States Fair and Reciprocal Trade Act.
— JΞSŦΞR ✪ ΔCŦUΔL³³º¹ (@th3j35t3r) July 2, 2018
Or the United States FART Act for short.
I shit you not >> https://t.co/8htloukNEd pic.twitter.com/dXKsQNW7X8
HAAAAALOLOL!!!!@SteveBenen rips FART Act
— WillAtWork (@WillAtWork) July 2, 2018
Trump Tries To Sneak FART Act
Trump Seeks To Ease Economic Pressure With FART Act
OMG please let this story survive to 9pm…
Trump Toots Own Horn On FART Act https://t.co/vcA9O2qKv1
As an editor who writes some headlines at the NY Post can I just say I’m really psyched about the FART Act
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) July 2, 2018
It is so apt that Trump would actually propose something called the US FART act.
— Chris (@goingglocal) July 2, 2018
You know, in the U.K. “trump” has been a slang word for fart for many many years. If this is real, Trump has truly trumped again.
Trump’s move to break away from WTO with "fart bill" likely to have “silent but deadly” repercussions https://t.co/6oyGKOlNVv #FARTbill
— The London Economic (@LondonEconomic) July 2, 2018
Others said they couldn't believe that a bill which would "disintegrate decades of trade relationships with our allies" is "also called the US FART Act."
My head hurts so much…Trump is pushing a bill that's literally called the US FART Act. It's a terrifying over-reach of presidential power that would disintegrate decades of trade relationships with our allies and it's also called the US FART Act. https://t.co/cG5EvOzBJ3 pic.twitter.com/je48YHbYaF
— Hank Green (@hankgreen) July 2, 2018
Trump is about to blow up the global trading regime with an unsettling FART Act. https://t.co/tgDZxQSE2V
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) July 1, 2018
"The world is laughing at us" says Trump, before proposing the FART Act (Fair and Reciprocal Tariff Act)
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) July 2, 2018
*Logs in to twitter*
— Smatt Force 1 (@mdrache) July 2, 2018
“President Trump proposes US FART Act”
*sets iPad on fire*
The bill has even been mocked by former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who jested that the FART Act "stinks" since it would hit American consumers.
WTO has its flaws, but the “United States Fair and Reciprocal Tariff Act," aka the U.S. FART Act, stinks. American consumers pay for tariffs. Time to switch tactics. https://t.co/OfyOFA1neU
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 2, 2018
The White House has yet to confirm or deny the existence of the legislation.
