That's just a bonus feature
The tariffs serve 2 purposes:
1. They can replace income taxes and protect the wealthy (per their reasoning)
2. They are a tool for power over other countries and a mechanism to compel them to pay personal tribute to The King of America™
I would love to be proven wrong because I'm hating this timeline.Get power => cause market instability, make trades and bets on volatility (or have your friends do it) => offshore your gains