What are we to make of the chaos being promulgated by the Trump White House as it settles in to governing? Check back tomorrow; we'll have a new answer.
From eliminating Valentine's Day roses, guacamole for the Super Bowl, the North American automotive industry, and America's compulsion for flimsy fast fashion, the Administration's "flood the zone" policy prescription has generated much heat and chatter, only to be walked back by weekend.
What remains of the blitzkreig of trade-related measures are promises to eventually take action and a modest ten percent levy on Chinese imports. This is not to say the bluster is over.
Friday President Trump continued the drumbeat, promising more tariff announcements to come “I’ll be announcing that next week. Reciprocal trade so that we’re treated evenly with other countries. We don’t want any more or any less,”
Each day brings new Executive Orders (Sovereign Wealth Fund, anyone?) and breathtaking legerdemain by the President's confederates once they find their desks. With Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer set to take their respective helms, those expecting a lull in the drama may be disappointed.
“It’s working,” former Trump White House adviser Stephen Bannon told the Washington Post “It’s just stunning to me what they’re doing, and it’s not getting covered because it’s too much. They’re overwhelming the system.”
What is being noticed is the policy swerve of National Security priorities from anti-corruption and multilateral enforcement regimes to a singular focus on Latin American street gangs and drug smugglers. While this focus on border security and public health is welcome, consigning longstanding mores and conventions to the dustbin may have consequences.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here