This 45% tariff is a straw man argument.
Trump was asked by a reporter about his trade plan. After explaining that to the reporter the he, Trump, was for "smart trade" or "fair trade" the reporter asked if Trump would favor a 45% tariff on goods imported from China. Trump answered with his usual, "if they don't play fairly" response.
The "Trump wants a 45% tariff" meme was thus born. I watched that interview after one of his rallies early on. To my knowledge Trump has never explicitly called for a 45% tariff on goods imported from China. If you know that he has, please produce some proof.
There is no mention of a tariff on Trump's official position on trade with China.
So either he was being honest, or he is all bark and no bite.
So which is it? Is he a terrible negotiator or is he is progressive for massive import taxes??