That indicates a complete ignorance of the actual history involved. The Great Depression came to the USA in 1929 as a result of Fedreal Reserve policies put in place to coordinate with Bank of England policies. The Smoot Hawley traifs were enacted in June 1930 after the Depression was well underway. These tariff increases were put in place alongside other tax increases which caused even more damage to the American economy. The Smoot Hawley tariffs were mostly a response to foreign tariffs which had already been in place and foreign reponses to them.
Now as to disaterous protectionist policies please show one example from American history of disaterous protectionist policies since from 1789 until the Clinton era we had in place protectionist tariffs.
By the way I happen to believe in Free trade I only wish we actually had some. Now once more since this candidate supports making all private transactions involving firearms a subject of Federal inquiry by his supposed support for "closing the gun show loophole" and his trade stance is clearly based upon bad information regarding teh Great Depression no matter what "elliot Jackalope" states tell me how this man is not just some other Republican candidate who says he is conservative but will still go along with the liberal line.
By the way remember it was teh Clinton administration that negotiated our current trade envirornment and if he is suipprting that he is running on a Democrat platform.
1. Protectionism in the 1920's.
2. Do you really think the Great Depression was unavoidable after 1929? Smoot Hawley likely turned a recession into a depression.