President Donald Trump articulated a dual, contradictory stance on his China tariffs, calling them “not sustainable” while also suggesting they “could stand.”
This confusing message—”It’s not sustainable… it’s probably not, you know, it could stand”—comes as he confirmed a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks.
The ambiguity appears to be a negotiating tactic. He blames China, claiming “they forced me to do that,” while keeping his options open.
The president’s outlook is similarly mixed. He expressed optimism (“I think we’re going to be fine”) and pessimism (“I don’t know what’s going to happen”).
A 90-day truce in the trade war is set to expire on November 10, placing a hard deadline on the upcoming talks to find a “fair deal.”