I think he sees tariffs as a golden ticket to whoever has the authority to waive them.

I think Trump is more transactional than feeling altruism for the wealthy. Tariff waivers used to be and may still be high value trade goods for whoever has the power to grant them. With Congress abdicating its tariff authority, I suspect we will see amazing demands for Trump trinkets.

Expect the proceeds from tariff buy downs to go straight into the pockets (e.g. campaign donations, favorable investments, straight cash) of whoever is allowed to approve them. That is the way tariffs worked in the 1930s.

“Where Have All the Flowers Gone” Woodie Guthrie