So Trump was like, “Yo, let’s chill on these tariffs, except for China. Screw ’em,” which was basically him saying, “Hey, China, you’re public enemy number one in my book.” It feels like he’s been itching to rewire the whole U.S.-China handshake deal since forever. Like, back in Queens, Trump was this outsider in a town full of suits with polished shoes living it up across the river in Manhattan. He’s always been this kinda rebel, wearing the elite badge but with a ton of 99% swag. That’s basically what the MAGA crowd gets, right?
This whole trade war thing with China? Yeah, not new. Go back to the 80s, Trump was losing sleep over Japan catching up to the U.S. in the money race. He was constantly yelling about the trade deficit like it was a cheating scam. And Reagan? Yeah, he put a whole tariff wall up on Japanese goods. Those early lessons? Trump stored them up, applying the same heat to China. Fast forward to 2011, Trump’s ranting about how China’s currency antics are sabotaging U.S. businesses. It’s like, “Hey, c’mon, play fair or don’t play at all!”
Then, when Trump got the big chair, he wasted no time. Told his trade guys, look into this mess with China. Report comes back — boom, fire alarms going off. So he slapped tariffs like they were going out of style. Funny thing, Biden, the next guy in line, left those tariffs right there on the shelf. Even stacked more on top, ’cause why not?
Trump didn’t just talk smack about China, he took them to trade court like, “Yo, WTO, these guys are robbing us blind.” Tweeting like it’s his job, telling everybody the system’s rigged and he’s not gonna sit back and let it happen. The man’s consistent, gotta give him that. From the third-party days in 2000, to squawking on “Oprah,” he’s always had a bone to pick with unfair trade practices. Immigration might get more headline space with MAGA, but make no mistake, trade beef runs deep with Trump.
Nixon and his meet-and-greet with Mao in ’72 was supposed to be the golden ticket — open the doors, trade all you want. Cheaper goods, bigger markets, everyone wins, they said. Fast forward and you got a drone telling people in Shanghai to “chill with the freedom thirst.” And the Chinese companies? Yeah, they’re like those kids in scantron exams peeking at answers over your shoulder — stealing what’s not theirs, putting out knockoffs on discount.
Oh, and if TikTok isn’t sketchy enough, it’s only one cog in a bigger wheel. Meanwhile, America’s supply chain? Taken apart piece by piece. Manufacturing? Basically the walking dead. Yeah, we’re talking zombies, thanks to China’s antics.
It’s like the decision-makers were wearing blinders, stumbling us into a massive misstep. They’ve been playing nice while our industries get bulldozed. This trade battle is overdue, and China’s one Goliath that needs a good David to bring it down. If anyone’s up for the task, it’s Mr. Off-Chrome Circle-n-Dust himself, Trump. Time to knuckle up, America.
Josh Hammer is out there writing books and lending his two cents like it’s going out of style. He’s all over Twitter, spilling thoughts in collab with some syndicate. Keep an eye.
