For the second straight month, President Donald Trump has delayed a new round of tariffs against China ahead of deadlines he set for a deal to be negotiated. Meanwhile, American farmers continue to suffer and Twitter users are humiliating Trump for caving.
Trump’s trade war with China has lasted nearly a year now and shows no real signs of ending any time soon as deadlines put in place by Trump have been moved again and again, supposedly because negotiators are close to striking a deal.
On Sunday, Trump announced his decision while insisting talks are going swimmingly:
I am pleased to report that the U.S. has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on important structural issues including intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services, currency, and many other issues. As a result of these very……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019
….productive talks, I will be delaying the U.S. increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1. Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a Summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement. A very good weekend for U.S. & China!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019
The problem is that it appears no deal is forthcoming because March 1st would have been the second time the deadline has come and gone without a deal, meaning Trump’s threats have no teeth and he’s clearly scared to enact even more tariffs that would hurt American farms and businesses even more than he has already.
Farm bankruptcies have jumped as over 80 farms have filed bankruptcy in just the last year, a higher number than just after the Great Recession in 2008.
And taxpayers have also taken a hit as Trump is providing $12 billion in hand-outs as compensation for his incompetence.
And that incompetence is why Twitter humiliated him:
Republican Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem told Politico that, “South Dakota has been devastated by the trade wars that are going on.”
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 24, 2019
Meanwhile you are paying US farmers billions of dollars because your trade war is hurting them so badly. Doesn’t sound responsible to me.
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 24, 2019
So in other words, President Xi has stomped a China-sized mudhole in me because of my failed trade war, and so I’ve agreed not to escalate my stupidity…yet.
Yayyyy, I haven’t shot myself in the foot! Give me praise.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) February 24, 2019
oh good, now you’re inviting heads of state to your tacky for-profit gold-plated golf resort, America weeps for its memory of dignified presidents past
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) February 24, 2019
So what you’re saying is…after fucking everything up, you may, MAY, be simply putting it back together. And you want credit for it too. Gee…where have I seen this movie before?
— Shugar (@GregShugar) February 24, 2019
Of course you extended the deadline. Imposing higher taxes on American consumers in an already weakening economy would have been political suicide. I’m sure the Chinese know this too. It’s amazing how few Americans realize it.
— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) February 24, 2019
What BS!! You’re getting ready to pretend you got a good deal when in fact all you got was more soybean sales. You haven’t stopped their IP theft or their mandatory tech transfers or state subsidies for Chinese companies.
— Jon.Schwartz (@JonSchw73589513) February 25, 2019
Once the terms of any deal get out, we’ll know for certain just how bad of a deal maker Trump is. In fact, if the deal is anything like the slightly tweaked new NAFTA, the United States probably didn’t get a whole lot while China wins in the end. That makes Trump a loser in the end, and farmers will be the biggest losers because they voted for him.
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