Trump Threatens Allies: No More Trade

[_Hawkeye]

Because this is what happens you you elect an economic ignoramus to President

Trump Threatens To End Trade With United States’ Closest Allies

President Donald Trump said Saturday at the Group of Seven summit in Quebec, Canada, that the United States would “stop trading” with some of its closest allies unless they change what he believes to be unfair trade policies.

Speaking to reporters at the annual G-7 meeting, the president said that totally eliminating trade barriers between the nations would be “the ultimate thing” and “that’s the way it should be.” He called many current tariffs on U.S. goods and services “ridiculous.”

“We’re like the piggy bank that everybody’s robbing ― and that ends,” the president said.

He later said, “It’s going to stop, or we’ll stop trading with them. And that’s a very profitable answer, if we have to do it.”

Although Trump said the trade talk was “not contentious,” his comments come amid a tense few days with multiple world leaders over Trump’s decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the country’s biggest trading partners: Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

Trump’s tariffs initially went into effect in March, aimed specifically at China, but the White House announced in May that the three allies would no longer be exempt from the taxes. Canada, Mexico and the European Union all threatened retaliatory tariffs after their exemption status was lifted.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke candidly about pushing Trump to reverse his position on the tariffs. Macron told reporters that while Trump may not mind U.S. isolation, “neither do we mind signing a six country agreement if need be.”

“American jobs are on the line because of his actions and because of his administration,” Trudeau said at a news conference Thursday. “When we can underscore this, and we see that there’s a lot of pressure within the U.S., perhaps he will revise his position.”

[_Gunnar]

This is incredible! It is as if Trump is doing his very best to alienate enough people (including a substantial portion of U.S. businesses and the U.S. electorate) to insure that he will not be reelected. According to Michael Wolff's Sound and Fury in the Whitehouse, it was never Trump's actual intention to win the 2016 election in the first place. What he wanted was the notoriety of almost winning the election, which he could use to leverage himself into a career in television, perhaps including a whole independent, Trump network. If he had lost, he would likely have tried to legally (and almost certainly unsuccessfully) challenge the result, thus gaining for himself even more notoriety, which he imagined he could exploit for his own benefit.

Even though the numbers in a few key states had appeared to be changing to Trump’s advantage, neither Conway nor Trump himself nor his son-in-law, Jared Kushner — the effective head of the campaign — ­wavered in their certainty: Their unexpected adventure would soon be over. Not only would Trump not be president, almost everyone in the campaign agreed, he should probably not be. Conveniently, the former conviction meant nobody had to deal with the latter issue.

As the campaign came to an end, Trump himself was sanguine. His ultimate goal, after all, had never been to win. “I can be the most famous man in the world,” he had told his aide Sam Nunberg at the outset of the race. His longtime friend Roger Ailes, the former head of Fox News, liked to say that if you want a career in television, first run for president. Now Trump, encouraged by Ailes, was floating rumors about a Trump network. It was a great future. He would come out of this campaign, Trump assured Ailes, with a far more powerful brand and untold opportunities.

According to Wolff, no one was more shocked (and perhaps even disappointed) than Trump himself, when he won. His wife reportedly burst into tears at the news. Maybe he is deliberately sowing the seeds of his own defeat in the 2020 election to avoid a repeat of his unplanned win in 2016. There are strong indications that he really doesn't enjoy being President, and wishes he had never run.

Donald Trump's Advice to His 25-Year-Old Self? 'Don't Run for President'

[_DarkHelmet]

But he does want Russia readmitted to the G7/8. Getting that proposal out there was probably his top priority. Don't want to upset the boss.

[_Themis]

But he does want Russia readmitted to the G7/8. Getting that proposal out there was probably his top priority. Don't want to upset the boss.

Looking at all the data points I can see so far, I suspect he is being influenced by the Russians. He owes then a lot of money, he has been doing business with them for years, and the Russians put in effort they have never done before to get him elected. And he has spent a lot of time attacking allies and talking friendly about Russia and Putin.

[_Gunnar]

I agree that it is becoming harder and harder to avoid the conclusion that Trump is working for Putin and Russia. There is little room for doubt that Putin is delighted with Trump and what he is trying to do.

[_canpakes]

President Donald Trump said Saturday at the Group of Seven summit in Quebec, Canada, that the United States would “stop trading” with some of its closest allies unless they change what he believes to be unfair trade policies.

Notice that no such threat has been made to communist China - after all, reducing the flow of cheap goods from that country would impact the lowest-tier stores the most, and that would anger the Wal-Martians that comprise the majority of The Base. Can't have that!

Nope, we'll threaten our allies instead, because Trump probably sees the goods and services from G7 countries as products that only those hoity-toity liberals purchase.

[_moksha]

Trump's followers will continue with their support no matter how defective he becomes. Trump is already bound for the record books as the worst President to date and I imagine that comes as some relief to the ghost of Warren G. Harding.

[_DarkHelmet]

And now the White House is saying there's a special place in hell for Justin Trudeau. What's wrong with these people?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/10/politics ... index.html

[_Themis]

And now the White House is saying there's a special place in hell for Justin Trudeau. What's wrong with these people?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/10/politics ... index.html

Sounds more like they are trying to set it up to sell the idea of getting rid of NAFTA. I do think Trudeau shouldn't have said anything. Trump is a person with massive character flaws and is always looking for a fight and will take offense when none is given. He doesn't mind offending and insulting who ever he likes. China has a good advantage though of making Trump and friends much richer so they can keep the same trade access to the US that Trump complained about for so long. I wonder if that is was one of the reasons he did complain about them so often to then do next to nothing, and even go out of his way to keep China's state owned tech company alive. Crazy times.

[_Themis]

Trump's followers will continue with their support no matter how defective he becomes. Trump is already bound for the record books as the worst President to date and I imagine that comes as some relief to the ghost of Warren G. Harding.

It seems we are entering a world were so many can be convinced the person slapping them in the face is really some other guy not even in the room.