October 10, 2017

Trump has a point on trade, however small

Whether he is conferring with a close ally or staring down an angry antagonist, President Trump has a beef to pick on trade.

Thermonuclear crisis with North Korea? Time to lecture our allies in South Korea on trade deficits.

Renegotiating our trade deal with Canada and Mexico? Best deploy the kind of harsh rhetoric presidents typically reserve for rivals like Russia and China.

This behavior is sending foreign affairs analysts like me into conniptions, and has left international relations scholars, economists and other technocrats aghast. Trade, they argue, is one of the few dependable ways to promote both peace and prosperity around the world.

Read the full op-ed in the Des Moines Register.