Business genius or just a Don-ce?

As the self-proclaimed titan of US business, Donald Trump sold the dream of homegrown success to acquire the keys to the White House.

As he was sworn in he declared he’d put “America first” while ridiculing the contrived optimism of Britain’s Brexiteers who wrongly claimed they’d do a good deal with the States.

Move forward 18 months and the US electorate – particularly the ones who voted Trump in – are now finding out to their cost it is the former reality TV star who is the apprentice, not the master of trade.

His mantra of Make America Great Again has turned into Make America Hate Again when it comes to global business.

His decision to bring in huge tariffs on foreign imports – a move his economic advisers bitterly fought against – has been met with fierce retaliation by other world leaders.

Now farmers and factory workers are slowly learning Trump’s fanatical protectionism has left them painfully unprotected. Of course, it is not what Trump promised his people.

His decisions have left Us-made products being shunned the world over, with soybean producers from Brazil, Argentina, Canada all now experiencing golden times.

They can now sell their wares to China after Beijing imposed a high tariff on US soybeans as payback. This week, one of America’s most iconic brands, held up by Donny as the epitome of his “America First” ideology, announced it was being forced to move production abroad.

Little more than a year ago, the President invited executives and union representatives from Harleydavidson to the White House.

There he vowed the motorcycle manufacturer would flourish under his economic stewardship.

Trump said: “Thank you, Harleydavidson, for building things in America.

“And I think you’re going to even expand. I know your business is now doing very well and there’s a lot of spirit right now in the country that you weren’t having so much in the last number of months” arley-davidson is the highest-profile casualty of Trump’s trade wars.

His steel and aluminium tariffs had already raised its costs because those metals are among the primary raw materials it purchases.

But worse still, the EU has now “punched back” with retaliatory levies of its own, including an additional 25% tax on Harley-davidsons from the States. Now to avoid a

Hsales collapse, bosses say they are forced to move production to Thailand.

After learning of their decision Trump tweeted: “Surprised Harleydavidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the white flag.

“A Harley-davidson should never be built in another country-never,” he blasted as he threatened to hit them with taxes “like never before”.

He ranted: “Their employees and customers are already very angry. If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end - they surrendered, they quit.” The truth is America is now learning the hard way, that everything Trump touches – unlike his name adorned on his hotels – does not turn to gold. His failing bully-boy trade policies are proof that the six times bankruptee has no understanding of how business works outside of the property world of overcharging dwellers.

Trump’s genius is building a brand, even a mythology so more fool the American electorate who bought into hiring a condo salesman TV star to oversee their trade and economics.

Fools and their money.

America is learning all he touches doesn’t turn to gold