Trumpism Is Backfiring | The Ezra Klein Show

Trump’s aggressive rhetoric, threats of territorial conquest and ending countries’ existence, and trade wars, against allies, has led to US allies organizing more of their economies around the US, which weakens the US and makes Americans poorer. Trump’s actions have also limited his influence on allies. These actions put Trump’s misguided ideas first, and America last.

When you bully and act aggressively, other countries may not retaliate in the moment, but they do work to weaken you and become more robust to your attacks.

Such Trump aggression has increased China’s power, prestige, and popularity, while lowering those of the US. The CCP is an evil dictatorship, but at least they are predictable, unlike erratic Trump.

Democracies around the world have been weakened because foreigners trying to maintain democracy in their country relied on the US for pushback against the breaking of democratic rules.

https://youtu.be/pDZ7BaZDoe8?is=rp1FOg6E1iwamqCW

Zelensky Defies Trump, Strikes Putin Where It Hurts Most

Trump tariffed India for buying Russian oil, and now Trump is buying Russian diesel, which is a form of refined oil. He has turned the United States into a hypocritical country with no principles, who no one should trust because no words, no deal, means anything. The country has always had to look out for itself, but the repeated backing out of deals, including ones made by Trump, the repeated economic and military aggression, and the naked unprincipled hypocrisy has turned the United States into an asshole country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xr1750x7tU

Canada Is Done With Trump

The US demanded that Canada give the US control over Canada’s trade policy with other countries. The US also demanded that US companies streaming shows in Canada not be required to order the shows shown to users based on Canada’s cultural preferences. The US wanted Canada to end its Buy Canada program that it put in place in response to US tariffs without offering to cancel the US tariffs that caused this program. The US demanded that the US could change certain terms of the deal at any time.

Ridiculous and demeaning demands on a long-time ally. Ruining such a relationship is not good for the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhgw3qAxYlY

US Says China Agrees to Spend Billions on Agricultural Goods

“Previous efforts by Trump to get China to purchase more US goods have fallen short, raising questions about whether the latest pledges will be fulfilled. China failed to meet its commitments under an agreement Trump brokered in 2020 to buy an extra $200 billion in US agricultural, energy and manufactured products over a two-year period. The Covid-19 pandemic complicated that effort but critics said the targets were unrealistic.

China has recently turned to cheaper Brazilian soybeans after meeting the initial purchasing volume from the US agreed to in last year’s trade truce between Washington and Beijing.

While the fresh discloser will likely be welcomed by farmers, who were seeking more clarity from the latest summit, the amount may not be large enough to satisfy growers looking to turn around tough economic conditions.

Farmers have been struggling for years with relatively low crop prices and high costs. Pressures have been compounded by geopolitical tensions including Trump’s tariffs, and most recently by a surge in fertilizer costs linked to the conflict in Iran.”

https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/us-says-china-agrees-spend-181028241.html

Why the Trump Xi Summit Was Always Going to Fail!

Trump’s visit to China achieved essentially nothing. The countries’ problems are too deep to be achieved in a presidential visit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD1eGSCvUO0

What Comes Next for U.S. Trade Policy After the Supreme Court’s IEEPA Ruling?

Congress should codify Trump’s trade agreements so Trump can’t keep going back on them and creating more uncertainty in the economy.

Trump still has a variety of tariff powers, but they are more limited and require more hoops to jump through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krb6SQKRdeg

Trump’s been played by Xi in China deal | Justin Wolfers

Trump’s deal with China has made things less bad than they were before the meeting, but they are still way worse than they were before Trump engaged in a trade war with China.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr-gB3BNykQ

Trump’s New Trade ‘Deal’ With the E.U. Leaves Out Beer, Wine, Booze

“Americans who enjoy German lagers, Belgian saisons, and Czech pilsners will get no relief from the higher tariffs that President Donald Trump has poured on their favorite brews.

…

The deal locks in the 15 percent tariffs that Trump has imposed on most European goods imported into the U.S., but it also serves as a promise from the Trump administration not to target European goods with product-specific tariffs that could be announced in the coming weeks or months—including potentially huge new tariffs on pharmaceuticals, something the White House has been teasing for months. The deal also creates a pathway for the United States to reduce its tariffs on European cars to the 15 percent threshold, once the E.U. reduces some of its own tariffs on American industrial goods.”

https://reason.com/2025/08/22/trumps-new-trade-deal-with-the-e-u-leaves-out-beer-wine-booze/

‘Tariffs Will Simply Put Us All Out of Business’: Trump’s Trade War Is Crushing American Crafters

“As President Donald Trump’s tariffs make life less affordable and predictable for Americans, they’re also threatening to make it less creative. American craft stores are struggling to keep up with ever-changing trade policies, which are making the foreign-made products they stock more expensive and difficult to access. Many foreign craft supply companies are now unable to ship to American consumers at all.”

https://reason.com/2025/08/28/tariffs-will-simply-put-us-all-out-of-business-trumps-trade-war-is-crushing-american-crafters/

EU faces first test of fragile trade truce with Trump

““Deals with the Trump administration simply do not create the kind of lasting certainty everyone is desperate for, because certainty, predictability and strict fidelity to treaties are not White House objectives,” said Dmitry Grozoubinski, a former trade diplomat and author of the book “Why Politicians Lie About Trade.””

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-faces-first-reality-check-fragile-trade-truce-donald-trump/