Economics
Trump's Tariffs Put China at Center of 2020 Re-Election Bid
- President’s approach carries risk of recession around election
- Some Democrats, including Schumer, back Trump on China trade
Donald Trump at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Lauren Justice /BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Donald Trump is making a high-stakes bet on his 2020 re-election with his decision to impose new tariffs on China: that the U.S. economy is strong enough to absorb an all-out trade war -- and might even benefit.
Trump set out his rationale in a series of tweets Friday morning after raising tariffs to 25% on $200 billion in goods from China and threatening more. Chinese and U.S. officials held brief talks in Washington that were unproductive, according to people unfamiliar with the matter.