Mexico crisis shows the limits of Trump's brinksmanship
The president's negotiating style has settled into a familiar — and increasingly ineffective — pattern.
First, spark a crisis by threatening harsh consequences if hazy, unspecified demands aren’t met. Then, torque up the suspense as an artificial deadline approaches, while nervous observers warn of the dire consequences of going over the cliff. And finally, cut a vague, imperfect or constitutionally questionable deal at the last minute, claiming victory and savaging the critics.
This is the pattern, well-worn by now, of President Donald Trump’s negotiations with a host of adversaries, real or perceived — and it’s getting eerily familiar in Washington.
This past week, Trump’s threat was to impose a series of escalating tariffs on Mexican goods entering the United States, and his demand was that Mexico curb a surge of migrants coming largely from Central America.
Trump didn’t get all he wanted. The ambiguity of the deal offers just enough for the president to claim victory, however. The U.S.-Mexico joint declaration issued Friday evening by the State Department contains no firm metrics to gauge the success — or failure — of the agreement, instead stating that Mexico “will take unprecedented steps” aimed at curbing migrant flow into the U.S. and “decisive action” to stop human smuggling.
That was enough for Trump, who tweeted on Saturday morning that “the reviews and reporting on our Border Immigration Agreement with Mexico have been good” and warned people away from the “false reporting (surprise!) by the Fake and Corrupt News Media.”
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/08/trump-trade-deals-mexico-china-1358155
= new reply since forum marked as read
