The article criticizes the "optimum tariff" trade policy, championed by former Trump economist Stephen Miran, as a 21st-century "robber baron" tactic. This policy, designed to extract monopoly rents and shift economic burdens onto other nations, is deemed a "naked assertion of economic power." The author argues that while proponents claim US benefits, evidence suggests domestic consumers bear the cost. Moreover, such a strategy damages US credibility and inevitably invites retaliation from major trading partners like the EU and China. Ultimately, the optimum tariff is economically self-defeating, undermining long-term US interests and global leadership.