It was against this backdrop that the president-elect made an announcement of sorts by way of his social media platform:

For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves. It is time for that to change. I am today announcing that I will create the EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE to collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources. We will begin charging those that make money off of us with Trade, and they will start paying, FINALLY, their fair share. January 20, 2025, will be the birth date of the External Revenue Service.

......The Washington Post reported that Trump’s announcement “sparked immediate confusion about how such an office would work in practice.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection currently administers tariff policy, which is set by the president and Congress. Importers self-classify and declare the value of their goods, and CBP officials review and audit that paperwork before collecting any duties, penalties and fees, according to the Congressional Research Service. Those funds are deposited into the U.S. General Fund, run by the Treasury Department. The government collected about $80 billion in tariffs and duties in 2023, according to a White House estimate.

Does Trump know this? Did he give this a moment’s thought before making the announcement? Did it occur to him that maybe he could ask someone who actually knows something about the issue?

Unfortunately, I think we know the answer to these questions.