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Deal Dash
China's going to "fight to the end." Japan's going to make a deal. Or something.
The next few days
It’s gonna be another leg lower once Trump realises the Chinese aren’t going to call and Trump lashes out with the additional 50% tariffs.
China has some true “nuclear options” in case of full blown economic war, but I always assumed they’d keep them in reserve for when they were ready to make a move on Taiwan and needed a response to the predictable sanctions which would follow. Trump seems hell-bent on forcing Xi’s hand ahead of schedule. I wonder if China will move up their schedule for Taiwan in tandem.
Biden always said he would defend Taiwan. I have never heard Trump say he would intervene, but I may have missed something. Remember, Pete Hegseth is now your Secretary of Defense.
Isn’t that what the $5 million Trump visa is for?
I once read an apocryphal story concerning negotiations between Loctite and the Chinese. At the end of the successful negotiations, the then company representative said he had to go, after all time is money. The Chinese rep replied quietly, “No sir, time is forever.” That is what we are up against, Trump’s 79 birthday versus, forever, a word that, by the grace of God does not apply to the mere man.
Trump admits he doesn’t have one close friend, says he doesn’t trust anyone. Now he wants to take on the world by himself. He may be able to bully small countries like Vietnam, but he’s way out of his league with Putin and Xi. Trump honed his skills on reality TV. Putin and Xi honed theirs in arenas where it’s always a death match every day.
It’s too bad that Trump didn’t spend more time at the tables in his casinos since our Dealmaker-in-Chief seems completely out of his element at the poker table. He sits with his cards facing the wrong way and talking way too much, not to mention TOO LOUDLY.
But in what world does a purportedly successful businessman with the greatest deals in pocket feel the need to tout, tease and hype them seemingly right out of existence? The clown show is morphing into a freak show with Trump carnival-barking at us all to step right up and see the bearded lady, the alligator boy, General Tom Thumb and the Giant Rat. Just be sure to convert your cash into Trump Tokens at the front gate, because Shitshow Park doesn’t take cash.