Wall Street Journal (January 22)
“Every incoming presidential administration is tempted to overread the electorate’s support for its agenda. Judging by the tone and content of President Trump’s Second Inaugural Address, his administration will be no exception.” He has already misread popular support “in his Inauguration Day executive actions.” If this continues, “he’s in for a rude awakening. The people who put him over the top on Nov. 5 weren’t members of his fervent MAGA base.”
Tags: Agenda, Electorate, Executive actions, Inaugural address, Incoming, Maga, Misread, Presidential administration, Rude awakening, Support, Trump
Foreign Policy (August 1)
The U.S. economic pivot to Asia began in 2011, but its tenor “has switched from economic offense to defense.” In the intervening years, “America’s positive economic agenda in Asia—opening markets, lowering barriers to trade, sealing agreements—bore virtually no fruit.” Largely driven by China, the U.S. instead raised tariffs, imposed sanctions, and “moved to de-risk and ‘friendshore’” supply chains.
Tags: 2011, Agenda, Agreements, Asia, China, De-risk, Defense, Economic offense, Economic pivot, Friendshore, Lowering barriers, Opening markets, Positive, Sanctions, Tariffs, Trade, U.S.
Reuters (May 23)
“Pyongyang’s announcement last week that it might pull out of the meeting should have been less of a surprise. North Korea has spent decades using similar tactics to shape the diplomatic agenda with the South and Washington, raising hopes of a breakthrough—then sparking a crisis and moving the goal posts.”
Tags: Agenda, Breakthrough, Crisis, Hope, North Korea, Pyongyang, South Korea, Surprise, Tactics, U.S.
Bloomberg (August 29)
“Brexit is beginning to look like a classic case of a mountain giving birth to a mouse” and, except for losing its say in EU affairs, little is likely to change. “The U.K. will simply lose its vote in the EU. The rest will remain as it is now for an indefinite period during which a new trade deal will be discussed in the standard EU fashion — slowly, deliberately, with each of the 27 EU countries working through its own agenda until there’s a consensus.”
Tags: Agenda, Brexit, Consensus, Deliberate, EU, Slow, Trade deal, UK
CNN (November 10)
“Donald Trump’s populist campaign didn’t always square with his past statements. And that makes his agenda as president anybody’s guess.” His fluid positions “could give the businessman an edge in making legislative deals…. Or it could halt action in Washington completely if he finds himself at odds with both Republicans and Democrats.”
Tags: Agenda, Deals, Democrats, Guess, Past, Populist, Positions, Republicans, Trump, U.S., Washington
Wall Street Journal (May 21)
There’s a reason “why so many countries are open to U.S.-led trade pacts, like TPP and its European counterpart, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. History shows the U.S. trade agenda, while far from perfect, has nevertheless provided sizable benefits to its partners.”
