Former President Donald Trump had a great policy moment over the past week. He dove into healthcare, climate change, and talked immigration policy, international trade, and military actions against Iran. In a recent chat with Fox News Channel, Trump revealed the kabuki theater his administration planned and had instituted. He said he was hopeful about new business opportunities due to TikTok’s continued presence.
In the interview, Trump called for a temporary pause on immigration raids that have been disrupting critical industries such as farming, hospitality, and restaurants. He explained that this decision is intended to provide relief and stabilize workforces in critical sectors. These industries have been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
Trump revealed that a group of wealthy investors is preparing to make an offer to purchase TikTok, a popular social media platform under scrutiny due to its Chinese ownership. During that process, he highlighted the need to receive approval from the Chinese government for any transaction to be completed.
“We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way. I think I’ll need, probably, China approval, and I think President Xi (Jinping) will probably do it.” – Donald Trump
Beyond the TikTok drama, President Trump made some waves by raising tensions with Iran. He also issued a grave warning that the country was merely “weeks away” from acquiring nuclear weapons. Just after, he announced military strikes that he said “completely destroyed” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. This claim goes to the heart of why Trump seems so dangerously fixated on national security and nuclear proliferation.
Trump further mentioned that he would consider lifting sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to China if Iran could demonstrate a commitment to peaceful intentions and a reduction in harmful activities. This unequivocal statement is a sign of his administration’s continued strategy of employing economic leverage and a long overdue hard line approach to and wariness of Tehran.
He also doubled down on his statement that any movement toward a more equitable trading relationship with China would involve heavy trade tariffs.
“Congratulations, we’re allowing you to shop in the United States of America, you’re going to pay a 25% tariff, or a 35% or a 50% or 10%.” – Donald Trump
Trump has made some lofty goals about trade negotiations, promising to wrap up as many as 90 trade agreements in 90 days. He recognized the challenges of having to negotiate separate deals with so many different countries.
Administration would phone countries in advance of expected new trade penalties. This notice would happen unless they strike agreements with the United States. He continued to insist that the U.S. would not be afraid to take action against Beijing when called for.
“We’ll look at how a country treats us — are they good, are they not so good — some countries we don’t care, we’ll just send a high number out.” – Donald Trump
Dealing with agriculture Trump’s support to get serious about immigration enforcement presented a chance to draw strong connections. In doing so, he highlighted his unique position of having two imperative responsibilities — that of farmers and robust traditional immigration enforcement.
“I’m the strongest immigration guy that there’s ever been, but I’m also the strongest farmer guy that there’s ever been.” – Donald Trump
As the violence continues to spread in the Middle East, tensions are mounting. In turn, Trump has pushed back decisions about U.S. military action over the new conflict between Israel and Iran. He promised to report back on the issue in approximately two weeks.
Considering the intricate factors at play in international negotiations and military conflict, Trump’s tone is reassuringly hopeful about future agreements with several countries. He raised the hurdles involved in attempting to meaningfully engage with hundreds of countries simultaneously.
“There’s 200 countries, you can’t talk to all of them.” – Donald Trump
