Trump on Trade War: ‘Forced’ Into It, ‘Not Sustainable,’ But ‘We’ll Be Fine’

President Donald Trump encapsulated his complex and often contradictory stance on the China trade war, saying he was “forced” into a “not sustainable” tariff policy, but that he still believes “we’re going to be fine.”
This whirlwind summary was delivered in an interview just two weeks before a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump’s primary complaint is that China “forced” his hand on tariffs.
His admission that the policy is “not sustainable” is a significant one, acknowledging the economic burden. Yet, he immediately balanced this by expressing optimism about the upcoming talks, based on his “great” relationship with Xi.
The pressure is mounting as a 90-day truce, which has paused duties as high as 145%, is set to expire on November 10. This gives the upcoming meeting at the APEC summit in South Korea immense importance.
Despite the “not sustainable” label, Trump also defended the tariffs as a vital show of strength. He recently threatened 100% tariffs and argued that without them, the US “would be exposed as being a nothing.” His main demand remains a “fair deal.”