Trump Needs to Revisit ‘The Art of the Deal’ in His Tariff Strategy
As Donald Trump’s tariff strategy against Canada and Mexico evolves, it is crucial for the president to keep in mind his signature idea — “The Art of the Deal.”
This means he should have a defined, strategic ultimate goal in sight, along with some specific requests that foreign leaders could feasibly agree to, given the pressure he is exerting.
In other words, it cannot simply be an vae-victis-style demand for total surrender.
Indeed, Trump has achieved some favorable outcomes by asserting superpower status.
Take the agreement he made with progressive Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum earlier this week, where Sheinbaum consented to deploy 10,000 troops to the border to address fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.
This agreement delayed the imposition of 25% tariffs on Mexico for one month.
Similarly, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also reached a deal to postpone tariffs for a month in return for enhanced security measures along the Canadian border and better collaboration with US officials on drug trafficking control.
That’s all encouraging, but what happens when the month is up?
What if tensions arise between Trump and Sheinbaum or Trudeau after the deadline?
Leveraging America’s significant power can indeed be impactful: consider the recent successes not only with Canada and Mexico but also with Colombia and, just this weekend, Panama and Venezuela.
Venezuela has now agreed to repatriate violent illegal migrants from Venezuela (including members of Tren de Aragua) and released six Americans detained by the Maduro regime.
The leftist dictator did not demand any long-term concessions as part of the arrangement — a stark contrast to the concessions seen under Biden, who tended to yield excessively to our adversaries.
In Panama, Secretary of State Marco Rubio persuaded President José Raúl Mulino to abandon an agreement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
This represented a dual success for America: a policy victory in our neighboring countries and a clear message to Xi Jinping that the White House is prepared to actively challenge his ambitions for global dominance.
While Trump’s tariff strategy might prove effective, it carries significant risks: even Trump has warned of potential hardships ahead, asserting that the risks “will all be worth it.”
Failure could lead to increased costs for Americans who are already burdened,
and negative repercussions for Trump in public opinion polls.
Thus, both for his own benefit and that of the nation, the president must maintain focus on the bigger picture.
No matter how gratifying it may be to confront leaders who undermine our interests.