Behold: the official “reciprocal tariff formula” as posted by the U.S. Trade Representative annotated by Ben Brkowitz. A dizzying display of pseudo-academic nonsense dressed up with Latin variables and mathematical flair — all to justify economic policies that make absolutely zero sense in the real world.

Let’s be honest: this isn’t economics, it’s theater. A PR stunt in equation form. And while it might look impressive at a glance, it’s built on sand. Because slapping tariffs on allies in the name of “fairness” — using formulas like this one — doesn’t help American workers. It raises prices, invites retaliation, and destabilizes global trade.

You can’t run a 21st-century economy with 19th-century protectionist dogma and a whiteboard full of nonsense. But hey, as long as it looks “smart” on Fox News, who cares about consequences, right?

Tariffs by formula? More like economic malpractice in disguise.