The Times' Peter Baker:
Remember when President Xi Jinping of China was the "enemy"? That was so Friday. As of Monday, according to President Trump, Mr. Xi was "a great leader" and a "brilliant man."
What about that edict by Mr. Trump, who "hereby ordered" American companies to leave China? Three days later, he was positive he would get a trade deal and, if so, then firms should "stay there and do a great job."
Mr. Trump spent the weekend in France insisting that he was not having a debate with his fellow world leaders, but at times it seemed like he was having a debate with himself. Day by day, even hour by hour, his approach to the trade war with China … veered back and forth, leaving much of the world with geopolitical whiplash.
If he seemed all over the map, he made clear on Monday, as he wrapped up days of diplomacy, that the world would just have to get used to it. He likes leaving negotiating partners, adversaries, observers and even allies off balance.
Leaving adversaries off balance is a conventional Sun Tzu, Art of War recommendation. But leaving one's allies off balance is a preposterous, colossally screwball approach to diplomacy — although, let's face it, the U.S. has no allies left; Trump has, with malice aforethought, alienated them through his mentally unbalanced "thoughts" on trade, climate change, Russia, China, and of course Iran.
Said Trump in France, "It’s the way I negotiate. It’s done very well for me over the years, and it’s doing even better for the country."
This was equally preposterous. He has bankrupted several projects, some of which should have been surefire moneymakers (casinos, anyone?); he is generally regarded by the business community as a godawful entrepreneur; and U.S. banks wouldn't touch him with a territorial sea-length pole before 63 million chumps elevated him to the White House.
As for his betterment of the country, just take a gander at virtually any current economic statistics, not to mention his wholesale fiscal abuse of anyone but those of extraordinary wealth.
As for his trade wars, a significant part of Trump's base — farmers — might be creeping toward anti-Trump disgust (there's controversy about that), having seen their sales of "soybeans, pork, wheat and other agricultural products to China" sail barrenly south. "Total American agricultural exports to China were $24 billion in 2014 and fell to $9.1 billion last year," reports the Times. Then there's the inevitable ripple-effect throughout the farm implement industry, which will ripple much farther.
And I admire agricultural secretary Sonny Perdue's sense of, uh, humor? at this month's Minnesota Farmfest, which was traditional, perfectly unthinking Trumpspeak: "What do you call two farmers in a basement? A whine cellar." The Times reports that "A cascade of boos ricocheted around the room."
Nevertheless, Trump, as you know, tweets the way he speaks — fallaciously — keypadding often that "farmers are starting to do great again." Retorted the Minnesota Corn Growers Association's president to Mr. Perdue: "We’re not starting to do great again. Things are going downhill and downhill quickly." He also said that Trump wouldn't get his vote again.
Adds the Times: "A growing number of farmers say they are losing patience with the president’s approach and are suggesting it will not take much to lose their vote as well." One hopes so, but after all this time and all of Trump's trade bumbling, one also wonders just what it would take for most farmers. Indeed, a Farm Journal July survey of 1,100 farmers and ranchers "show[ed] that 79% of farmers now approve of the job Mr. Trump is doing."
Which is agrarian madness, nearly on Trump's level.