Messaging Guidance:

Trump’s Trade Surrender 2.0

 

In the latest chapter of Donald Trump’s trade chaos, the United States and China reached an agreement to temporarily reduce tariffs while continuing to negotiate a resolution to the ongoing trade war.

Trump is touting this as a victory – but the reality is much more sobering. The truth is: Donald Trump blinked, and the American people are worse off for it. This whole debacle accomplished nothing beyond sabotaging the American economy and confirming China’s worst instincts – that Americans are all talk and no action, and will fold at the slightest sign of economic pain.

Topline Messaging:

  • After weeks of economic downturn and devastating news coverage, the Trump Administration is so eager to notch a “win” that they are celebrating a temporary pause as a “historic” agreement. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is far more sobering.

  • Once again, Trump is both the arsonist and the firefighter – demanding praise for attempting to solve a problem of his own making.

  • Trump’s “deal” neither extracted real concessions from China nor did anything to change the nation’s predatory trade behavior, which Trump claimed as his rationale for starting this trade war in the first place.

  • This is reminiscent of Trump’s 2019 “historic trade deal” – when China bought none of the additional $200 billion of exports Trump's deal had promised.

  • For those confused by the latest round of China tariff news, here is a helpful explainer: 

    • Trump caved and got zero in return

    • No manufacturing moved back to the U.S. 

    • A 30% tariff is still a huge tax on Americans 

    • The 90-day pause still causes uncertainty, particularly for small businesses

    • Trump lost all negotiating leverage

  • Meanwhile, it’s the American people that have paid the cost of Trump’s catastrophic trade war gambit. Retirement accounts are down, businesses have shuttered, and the cost of everyday household goods are still soaring. That’s hardly a “win.”

The Numbers:

The U.S. is slashing tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30% for 90 days, and China is suspending most of its retaliatory tariffs, bringing its rate on U.S. goods to about 25%. Despite the spin from the Trump administration, these are still steep costs that hurt American workers and prolong global economic uncertainty.

Published: May 2025