EU and Chinese putting the squeeze on Trump

DONALD TRUMP started the game of imposing tariffs on, in particular, Canada, an ally; the EU, an ally; fascist Turkey, sometimes an ally, sometimes a friend of Russia; and one of the biggest investors in the USA, China.

China is now preparing to take retaliatory tariff action against $60bn worth of US goods.

Trump’s response is that if China targets farmers, ranchers and industrial workers in an effort to impact on his electoral constituency, China does not understand that “these people are patriots”.

Really, Mr Trump, I think not. I think that China has judged the situation very well, unlike you, as has the EU, targeting goods from Florida and the industrial mid-west.

I think Trump doesn’t have any notion of Chinese political acumen.

Trump is continuing to act as the thirdrate businessman that he has always been – as a bully boy, without giving a thought to even the next move that his opponent will make, unlike the farsighted Chinese.

The only difference between the preelection and post-election Trump is that before his election, when Trump did not succeed he allowed his corporations to go into bankruptcy, usually to his own financial gain, without giving a thought to his creditors and employees who suffered great financial loss and psychological trauma.

Trump doesn’t appear to understand that he cannot do this with the economy of the USA.

God forbid that his administration cannot convince him of this.

Perhaps Bob Woodward can give the American people a clue as to who in the White House they can contact who can shuffle the papers for Trump to sign.

Trump would probably not notice now that his attention is focused on his good friends, those “good people” who are queueing up to give evidence against him to the FBI, who will clearly show that he is a liar and guilty of fraudulent election practices, liable not only to fines but a custodial sentence.

If the American people have any sense of self-respect, this must surely be the start of ridding themselves of their greatest liability ever. Ciarán Clarke Co Fermanagh