President Trump’s “renegotiation” of the North American Free Trade Agreement consisted of superficial changes and a rebranding of the name. Mexico has not agreed to pay for the border wall, nor did Trump make a deal with Congress to get it. Instead, he has declared a state of emergency so he can take the money anyway—not from Mexico, but from the taxpayers—without the need for a deal. Even what Republicans accomplished in the last Congress, when they still had control of the House, were items already on the Republican leadership’s wish list, such as Paul Ryan’s tax reform, and nothing so difficult that they didn’t really want to do it, like repealing Obamacare.
The big trade deal with China that Trump officials have been teasing to the press looks more like a return to the status quo ante. For example, China is likely to agree to buy American agricultural products—which they were already doing before Trump imposed his tariffs—with little or no enforceable progress on key issues such as the theft of intellectual property.
Then of course there is Trump’s big diplomatic push with North Korea, where after a year and two personal summits, Trump walked away with nothing while Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un got exactly what he needed…
The answer is that Donald Trump isn’t really a great deal-maker. He just plays one on TV.
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