Trump’s China Push Gets Caught Between Two Rival Chucks
- Grassley and Schumer embody political dilemma for president
- Pressures grow for deal as hawks insist it has to be worth it
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Donald Trump is discovering how hard delivering on his promise to rewrite the economic relationship with China is. As the president prepares for high-stakes negotiations over the next few days, much of the challenge has to do with how the president balances the two Chucks in his life.
On one presidential shoulder sits Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and is a vocal critic of Trump’s tariffs and the economic damage suffered by American farmers and businesses. He embodies what remains of the Republican party’s pro-trade establishment and the businesses from Main Street to Wall Street who want an end to the uncertainty brought by the president’s trade wars.