04/30/2017 / By JD Heyes
During his campaign, then-GOP nominee Donald J. Trump railed against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as one of the worst deals ever made in the history of the United States, and he vowed to get the U.S. out of it one way or another.
The time has come for him to keep that campaign pledge, but how President Trump plans to deliver on his promise is not being presented – or reported – accurately.
On Thursday Trump announced that he was working on a draft executive order that would have effectively withdrawn U.S. participation in NAFTA within six months, but within hours of that story getting out, Trump said he had been contacted by the Mexican President Enrique Pena and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to consider merely renegotiating the pact.
“I received calls from the President of Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada asking to renegotiate NAFTA rather than terminate,” he tweeted early Thursday morning. (RELATED: ‘Make AMERICA Great Again!’ Once-Defiant Mexico Now Willing To Talk To Trump About NAFTA)
“I agreed…subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA. Relationships are good-deal very possible!”
I received calls from the President of Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada asking to renegotiate NAFTA rather than terminate. I agreed..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2017
…subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA. Relationships are good-deal very possible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2017
A brief reading of responses to Trump’s tweets by the pseudo-intellectuals and trolls who appear to have nothing better to do than monitor his feed make it clear that a) none of these ‘geniuses’ have ever read his book, “Art of the Deal” and; b) they are so full of Trump hate they still actually believe that the “Trump-Russia collusion” narrative is real. Pathetic.
To the uninitiated and superficial, it would appear that Trump the noob has once again been talked out of taking our country (and the world) to the brink of hell by the ‘more rational’ leaders of Canada and Mexico. In fact, the New York Post even reported it that way, using this headline: “Canada, Mexico persuaded Trump not to withdraw from NAFTA” (my emphasis).
Let’s be clear here. Nobody “persuaded” Trump to do anything. The fact that those leaders called him after he announced the U.S. would be withdrawing from NAFTA tells you everything you need to know about who’s really in charge of the situation.
If Trump was really the goober the #NeverTrump haters actually believe that he is, Trudeau and Pena would have laughed him off and been done with it. That their initial response was to call him rather than dismiss him is telling and it vindicates the president who, once again, has proven that he knows what he’s talking about: NAFTA is a great deal for the other two signatory countries but not so good for Americans.
The Canada-based Globe and Mail reported further that Trump says he’ll give “renegotiation a good, strong shot and that he’s “confident” the three sides will be able to make a deal.
But he also said if no deal can be reached, then the U.S. is out. “Art of the Deal 101” – Play hardball because you have to, and never afraid to walk away from a deal (and let the other side know you’re not afraid to walk away).
Personally, I’m betting (again) on Trump, but whether or a not a renegotiated deal can be made, what is clear is that the outflow of American jobs and industry in the 22-odd year history of NAFTA is indisputable. (RELATED: The TPP is dead: Trump uses executive order to withdraw from partnership)
Interestingly, another billionaire businessman and presidential contender, Ross Perot, made that very prediction in an infomercial he made during his 1992 bid for the presidency as the first candidate of the Reform Party. His famous line was that if NAFTA were passed, there would be “a giant sucking sound” created by the loss of American jobs, mostly to Mexico:
Perot was roundly mocked – largely because of his Texas accent – but also because of what he predicted. Turns out he was as prophetic as any person could be, because he knew and understood business and business deals. And trade deals are business deals.
Trump is cut from the same business cloth and knows – as did Perot – what a lousy deal for the U.S. NAFTA was.
What’s more, the leaders of Mexico and Canada know that renegotiating with Trump is better for them than losing everything if he pulls out of NAFTA altogether.
Once again, Trump has proven smarter (and shrewder) than the alleged “smart people” in Washington and the media.
J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.
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Tagged Under: Canada, Mexico, NAFTA, President Donald J. Trump, renegotiate, trade deal