Raw Story: 'Easily bamboozled' Trump could get owned by Mexico in trade war: Paul Krugman

[Dennis Donovan]

Raw Story - 'Easily bamboozled' Trump could get owned by Mexico in trade war: Paul Krugman

Brad Reed
November 29, 2024 9:05AM ET



Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is seeing signs that President-elect Donald Trump may have already bitten off more than he can chew when it comes to his threats to launch trade wars with Mexico and Canada.

Writing on BlueSky, Krugman makes the case that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appears to be ready to call Trump's bluff should he slap her country's products with 25 percent tariffs.

"One possibility re Trump tariffs that I don't think has been given enough consideration is that other leaders may decide that he's weak and easily bamboozled — and may be right (something already suggested by his behavior the first time)," Krugman asserts. "I mean, what just happened with Mexico? To use technical language, Sheinbaum's response to Trump's tariff threat appears to have been "F--k me? No, f--k you" (I spent many years in New Jersey)."

Krugman adds that Sheinbaum after her call with Trump shot down his claims that she had offered him major concessions on immigration and on fentanyl, which led him to believe that she won't be a pushover in any dispute with the incoming president.

"Quite likely that other trading partners will respond similarly," Krugman speculates. "They probably realize, even if Trump doesn't, that America doesn't have a clear advantage in a potential trade war, especially if it's America against the world. And probably a good idea not even to give Trump symbolic concessions."

/snip

[eppur_se_muova]

1. One of those "how it began/how it's going" diptyches shouldn't be that far away ... nt

[Irish_Dem]

2. As long as Trump puts cash into his pocket, the outcome means nothing to him.

[jimfields33]

3. I can see trump using this as a bargaining chip.

The United States is providing nearly $200 million in additional humanitarian assistance through international organizations and NGO partners in Mexico and Central America, bringing our total humanitarian assistance for the region since FY 2018 to more than $594 million.

How Mexico reacts will be interesting. To stop government money going to Mexico would be trumps priority if Mexico doesn’t play his game.

[Irish_Dem]

4. Yes it will be interesting to see how all this drama unfolds.

Again Trump's only real goals are money and power.

[jimfields33]

5. True. I think power is even higher than money which is

even more dangerous.

[bamagal62]

6. He has all the money he

Needs now. So, it’s all about power.

[Irish_Dem]

7. Interesting to try to quantify it.

Of course a major goal is money. To be the richest man in the world.
Power is just a means to get that money.

But he is cruel, sadistic, bent on revenge.
So power for its own sake is important as well.
To act out in evil ways.

I would say money goal is at least 60% of his motivation.
Power for revenge is 40%.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. The President of Mexico is a bad ass and is far smarter than trump

Link to tweet