In a stunning display of economic prowess, President Trump unveiled his latest tariff initiative in the iconic Rose Garden, waving a colorful chart that would make a kindergarten art class proud. "It's all about reciprocity, folks!" proclaimed Trump, gesturing animatedly. "They do it to us, and we do it right back. You can't get simpler than that. Any questions?" As spectators squinted at the chart, it became evident that the calculations behind the administration's trade policies were less coherent than a toddler's finger painting. Taking a page from the "How to Simplify Complex Issues" handbook, the White House team decided to ditch traditional economic methods in favor of a brand-new strategy: "Find a number, divide it by a small number, and voilà! Tariff strategy." This method, termed "Economic Simplification 101," has left leading economists and mathletes alike scratching their heads. According to sources within the administration, they started by pulling trade deficit numbers for 2024 from a dusty binder labeled "Trade Numbers – Look at When You Have Time" that was somehow misplaced in the Oval Office. The numbers, obtained through a highly classified method known as "guessing," were then divided by a random integer ranging between 1 and 10. “Why complicate things?” said one White House advisor, holding up the binder like it was a prized trophy. At this point, some of the world's leading experts are uncertain if Trump's approach is the beginning of a new economic paradigm or merely a comedy routine gone awry. "I had no idea economics could be this fun!" exclaimed Dr. Inequality Slope, a prominent economist at the Institute of Economic Shenanigans. “If this is their formula for success, my bake sale could fund the national debt.” Not surprisingly, reaction from around the globe has ranged from outright laughter to mild confusion. "We thought we were going to have a serious discussion about trade relationships," said a bewildered representative from Canada. “But I guess we were wrong, eh?” Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister responded with an official letter stating, "We do not understand why you have chosen to divide your deficits this way, but we appreciate the gesture." Accompanying the letter was a tiny origami crane, crafted from a map of U.S. tariffs, which some interpreted as a diplomatic peace offering. Trump, unphased by the criticism, continued to tout the new tariff plan as "the simplest trade deal the world has ever seen," adding smugly, “Even I could do this on my calculator!” He then proceeded to demonstrate this prowess by developing a highly speculative forecast about future trade based solely on the outcomes of a Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament. As the event concluded and the crowd dispersed, one thing became clear: In President Trump’s world of economic policymaking, simplicity reigns supreme—even if it means opening Pandora’s box of trade wars based on a math class gone wrong. As for the actual implications of these tariffs, only time will tell if they will lead to economic prosperity or simply more comic relief.