On Monday, President Donald Trump was once again busted in a lie after claiming the government of China called him and asked to restart talks over his disastrous trade war.
But this seems more egregious than a typical Trump lie, wrote CNN contributor Garrett Graff — as an attempt to mislead world powers about the state of international diplomacy, it could have serious consequences for America’s ability to conduct discussions of any sort, especially in an international crisis situation:
Trump’s tariff hikes on Chinese goods in 2018 alone cost consumers $32 billion, threatening jobs and economic activity across the country. But there is no sign China is interested in negotiating for a deal to end the standoff.
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has suggested that China doesn’t even need to negotiate with the United States — they may decide to just step back, let Trump’s tariffs ruin his own economy, and negotiate with the next administration when people vote Trump out over the losses.