Errol Louis is the host of "Inside City Hall," a nightly political show on NY1, a New York all-news channel. (CNN) When it comes to the chaotic round of firings, hirings and reshuffles that define personnel policy in the Trump White House, it's easy to get distracted by the fireworks and miss the fundamentals. It's fascinating to focus on the drama behind the resignation of chief economic adviser Gary Cohn , but we should not ignore the broad, lasting transformation of American politics that lies behind the palace intrigue. On its surface, Cohn's departure -- reportedly in response to the President's insistence on imposing new tariffs on steel and aluminum -- is simply an important policy dispute that Cohn lost. Aligned against the globalists are the "nationalists," who favor imposing tariffs on cheaper, foreign-made goods so that they don't undercut the price and profitability of American-made goods.

Source: CNN March 07, 2018 22:30 UTC