Donald Trump’s version of “winning” bears no resemblance to what the rest of us think of the term.
He insists America’s unprovoked trade war that has spread across the planet like a Texas prairie wildfire has earned the respect and admiration of our allies.
Um, Earth to Donald: No. It hasn’t.
Canada has vowed to retaliate. So has Mexico. We start with our two closest neighbors and two of our most reliable trading partners, and it only worsens beyond that.
The European Union is aghast that Trump would impose steep tariffs on goods imported from France, the UK, Italy and Germany. What’s a bottle of wine going to cost now that Trump has imposed steep tariffs on that item?
Here’s the bitterest irony of all the international reaction. Russia, Turkey and Hungary – nations all run by ham-handed dictators and thugs – aren’t feeling the tariff pinch the way our traditional allies are feeling it. Why is that? It must be that Trump so deeply admires dictators, so much so that he is exhibiting signs of becoming one himself.
And yet the POTUS keeps yapping about the “winning” strategy of declaring economic war on our allies. He says they’ll come around to seeing it our way. Really, dude?
It’s looking all more likely to this old man’s eyes that our allies are fed up to here – and you can determine where “here” is – with Trump’s ignorant push for tariffs that only punish Americans.
Am I tired “winning”? Yeah, I am sick and tired of it in terms that Donald Trump applies it.
Your scathing critique of Trump’s trade policies oversimplifies a complex issue and ignores potential benefits of the administration’s approach. While it’s true that tariffs have strained relations with some allies, your claim that they bear “no resemblance” to winning dismisses the strategic intent behind them.
Trump’s trade war isn’t “unprovoked” as you assert. It’s a response to decades of trade imbalances, intellectual property theft, and unfair practices—particularly from nations like China. The tariffs aim to pressure these countries into fairer negotiations, a goal that’s not unreasonable even if the execution ruffles feathers. Canada and Mexico may threaten retaliation, but they’re also deeply tied to the U.S. economy—NAFTA’s renegotiation into the USMCA, despite the noise, shows they’re not walking away.
The EU’s dismay is real, but let’s not pretend their hands are clean. Subsidies for industries like agriculture and aerospace have long distorted markets, and Trump’s tariffs are a blunt tool to force a reckoning. Will a bottle of French wine cost more? Sure, but that’s a small price for American consumers if it means leveling a playing field tilted against U.S. producers for years.
The irony about Russia, Turkey, and Hungary is overstated. Trade with these nations is a fraction of what we do with traditional allies—less than 5% combined versus over 60% with the EU, Canada, and Mexico. If Trump’s sparing them, it’s likely pragmatism, not dictator worship. Your leap to Trump aspiring to tyranny is a rhetorical Superman-esque stretch unsupported by evidence—just partisan hyperbole.
Are allies fed up? Maybe. But “punishing Americans” ignores potential long-term gains: revitalized manufacturing, more jobs, and leverage for better trade deals. Your fatigue with “winning” seems more about disliking Trump than grappling with the policy’s merits. Economic disruption isn’t fun, but writing it off as ignorant overlooks the possibility that shaking up the status quo might, in time, yield real victories—ones that don’t just pad corporate profits but benefit workers here at home.