Trump has mentioned that tariffs will help him pay for his planned tax cuts. Tariffs are like a flat-tax, which disproportionately help the rich while taking more from the poor.

I also think there may be some other angles they’re working; but I’m not completely sure on. Trump often threatens people to solicit favors; so this may also be a way for him and his cronies collect bribes and favorably business deals from politicians and the wealthy from around the world. He may also have deals with Putin, because he’s acting exactly how you’d expect a person to act who was trying to destroy the Western hegemony.