Trump’s showdown with China deepens

President Donald Trump is heading into another volatile week of his trade wars facing an urgent need to de-escalate the clash he ignited with China before it inflicts deep damage on the US economy.Chinese President Xi Jinping is so far declining US pressure to call his American counterpart to seek a “deal” after the United States imposed 145% tariffs on its superpower rival, setting off a long-feared direct confrontation.This leaves Trump repeatedly assuring Americans that his “great relationship” with the Chinese leader will head off a crisis but unable to initiate talks in a standoff that risks tanking stock markets again and imposing real hardships on Americans. 

Despite the uncertainty, Trump is putting on a show of relishing multiple fights he set off, and he lapped up a standing ovation as he took a seat cage-side at a UFC mixed martial arts event in Florida on Saturday night. The president, who styles himself as an ultimate political fighter, told reporters his reception was “somewhat legendary” and showed that “we’re doing a good job.”But the president’s conflict with China is a real-world showdown with far higher stakes.The impasse is so serious because the US and Chinese economies are intricately entwined.

 The US relies on China for consumer electronics; rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of electric vehicles and for military applications and robotics; pharmaceuticals used in lifesaving medicines; and more basic staples of daily life, including clothing and shoes. US exports of produce like soybeans and sorghum to China are vital to the livelihoods of American farmers, but the tariffs imposed by both sides are so prohibitive that trade may effectively grind to a halt.Both sides could suffer terribly in a full-blown trade war, and US consumers could be hit by shortages and surging prices. 

But some experts believe that China, owing to its authoritarian system of government, would be willing to impose more pain on its populace to avoid losing what could be a defining struggle with the US.Trump’s capacity to play the long game was called into question when he suddenly paused reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations last week for 90 days after bond market sell-offs began to hint at a developing financial crisis. 

That climbdown will have been carefully watched in Beijing. And in seeking to ease one sticky situation, Trump exacerbated another — lashing out at China with his 145% tariffs in an apparent effort to save face.As the chaos worsens, the White House added more confusion Friday night, exempting imports of Chinese-made smartphones and computers from the top tariff rate in an apparent acknowledgment that sky-high levies on those items could hammer the tech industry and US consumers.But on Sunday, the administration insisted that such products would still be subject to new tariffs at a lower level in the coming weeks, raising further questions about its apparently unplanned and knee-jerk stances, which have repeatedly scared markets.

“NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’ for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “There was no Tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’ The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it,” he went on.

Focus group: Trump voters in Michigan have buyers' remorse

Most Michigan swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups said that although they voted for President Trump in November, they have objections, frustrations and fears about his behavior since he returned to power.

Driving the news: Ten of 13 participants from this battleground, auto-industry state bordering Canada said what they're seeing isn't what they thought they were voting for — and they're worried Trump's approach may hurt their pocketbooks.

"Erratic," "frightening," "disruptive" and "dictator" were among the words they used to describe their concerns.

Zoom in: A focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, but the voters' reactions suggest that Trump risks overplaying his mandate to reshape government, trade and international alliances.

• The online panels, conducted Tuesday night, were made up of Michigan voters who backed former President Biden in 2020 but switched to Trump last November. Eight were self-described independents, four were Republicans and one was a Democrat.

The big picture: The voters' responses stand in stark contrast to last month's focus group with Arizona swing voters, all of whom said they approve of Trump's earliest actions.

The Michigan voters felt differently after more exposure to Elon Musk, DOGE, large-scale federal worker firings, tariffs and no relief on prices.

Trump entered his second term with a higher approval rating than he had during his first term, but polls indicate his honeymoon has begun to fade as Americans' concerns over the economy rise.

What they're saying: "I don't feel like he was this aggressive last time because I don't think anyone would've voted for him if they expected to see what we're seeing now," said Shannon B., 27, of Livonia, Mich.

Sheryl M., 44, of Chesterfield, said of Trump: "He's so erratic, and it's getting to the point where I'm almost scared to watch the news. I mean, it's a little bit frightening 'cause each day is something new, so you get a little anxious."

"I mean, Canada? When have we ever had issues with Canada?" asked Phil L., 45, of Dearborn Heights. "We barely have a border. You can go in and out of the country and a lot of places, a lot of states. I think we're just barking up the wrong tree with this."

Another voter, Therese L., 55, of Commerce Township, bristled at the viral image of a crowned Trump, the president's "long live the king" comment and or Trump saying, "He who saves his country doesn't violate any law. "

• "He is acting like a dictator," she said.

One participant who does home remodeling, worried about tariffs raising the price of wood and causing clients to drop their remodeling plans.

Another voter, who owns a health and weight loss business, said most of her clients are in the auto industry — ; if they're hit it could devastate her. One said she works in the auto industry and just got furloughed because "we are not building any cars right now."

Michael L., 43, of Commerce Township, said Trump "campaigned on lowering prices and making things more affordable for working-class people. He's moving in the opposite direction." He conceded that Trump had previewed tariffs during the campaign, but said "we didn't necessarily think it would be this much, this fast."

"I was voting for him based off of the economy the first time around and I'm seeing a significant decline," said Samantha S., 31, of Birmingham.

"I was expecting him to do things to better our country and I'm not seeing that," said Katelyn D., 26, of Woodhaven.

Several of the voters said they want Congress to push back.

Malea H., 34, of Clinton Township, said she fears "that this will eventually turn into a dictatorship... if the people that we elected to be his checks and balances don't check and balance him, then what are they there for?

They disagreed with Trump freezing out Associated Press journalists from coverage in the Oval Office and Air Force One because the independent news organization hasn't gone along with his insistence that the Gulf of Mexico should be called the Gulf of America.

"It's just so childlike," said Shannon B.

On the other hand: Only of one the 10 Trump voters-turned-critics said they'd choose Kamala Harris for president if they could do it over.

"Trump, we've gone through four years with him before — and it's just kind of just grin and bear it for another four," said Malea H., 34, of Clinton Township.

"Just because these swing voters discovered they don't like the taste of wheatgrass juice, it doesn't mean they long to swallow castor oil," said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups.

The three voters who did approve of Trump's earliest actions say that while they may not agree with him on everything, on balance they at least feel he is getting things done.

"He said that he would get busy as soon as he got in office, and I feel like he has," said Kara B., 39, of DeWitt.