WASHINGTON —
“Unfair trade is over,” declared former President Donald Trump. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent backed him up, branding their chaotic approach as “maximum leverage.” But behind the sound bites and slogan-stuffed declarations, there’s no strategic achievement—just a patchwork of tariff threats, broken negotiations, and diplomatic damage. The truth? What they’ve ended isn’t unfair trade. It’s credibility.

Since Trump’s self-declared “Liberation Day” in April, the administration has reversed its own positions more than 28 times. These shifts have been so erratic that they’ve destabilized both allies and adversaries. Brazil’s tariff spike had nothing to do with economic misconduct—it was politically motivated retribution. And while Trump and Bessent boast of more than 90 deals supposedly “in progress,” not one has actually been completed.

They call this leverage. But leverage without results isn’t strength—it’s flailing under pressure.

Even trusted allies like Japan, Canada, and the European Union have been blindsided mid-negotiation. Tariffs have arrived without warning, disrupting decades of built trust and diplomatic dialogue. The administration’s move from negotiation to economic coercion has left global markets shaken and America’s reputation fraying.

Bessent insists they’re taking the high road by prioritizing “quality over speed,” but neither of these values is reflected in their results. The few publicly announced arrangements with Vietnam, China, and the United Kingdom are skeletal frameworks, not binding agreements. The UK deal still includes a baseline 10 percent tariff. No clarity. No transparency. And most trade partners have been hit with aggressive 30- to 50-percent tariff hikes—without negotiation and without relief.

What Trump and Bessent claim as strategic vision is merely reactive performance. Their approach isn’t measured diplomacy—it’s policy as improv.

And the consequences are mounting. No major trade agreement has been signed. No consistent negotiating structure is in place. Longstanding relationships have deteriorated, and global confidence in America’s reliability has dropped to dangerous lows. They talk about legacy, but what they’re leaving is volatility.

Through every bluff, reversal, and boast, one truth remains stubbornly clear. For all their claims of leverage, strategy, and victory, Trump and Bessent keep proving the same thing: they don’t understand the game they’re playing—or the cost of their chaos. They simply don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.

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References

Mention of upcoming tariffs from Scott Bessent
G-20’s response to Trump’s trade war
Trump’s additional 10% tariff threat over BRICS
Bessent on prioritizing deal quality over speed
Goalpost shifting on tariffs
CNBC: Pressure via August 1 tariffs

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