Trump considering rejoining TPP

President Trump ordered top administration officials Thursday to look at rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a major shift on the sprawling multination trade pact he rejected just days after taking office.

Rejoining the pact would come as Trump escalates a trade conflict with China. The Pacific Rim trade deal was intended to counter China’s influence, but Trump criticized the pact as a candidate and pulled the United States out of it in one of his earliest moves as president.

Trump gave the new orders to U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow during a White House meeting with lawmakers and governors, according to several GOP senators in attendance.

Trump then told Lighthizer and Kudlow to “take a look at getting us back into that agreement, on our terms of course,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). “He was very I would say bullish about that.”

Thune said he and others at the table argued that “if you really want to get China’s attention, one way to do it is start doing business with all the people they’re doing business with in the region: their competitors.”

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) also witnessed and applauded Trump’s surprise move.

“We should be leading TPP,” Sasse said. “China is a bunch of cheaters and the best way to push back on their cheating would be to be leading all these other rule-of-law nations in the Pacific that would rather be aligned with the U.S. than with China.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-weighs-rejoining-trans-pacific-partnership/2018/04/12/37d59500-3e71-11e8-8d53-eba0ed2371cc_story.html?utm_term=.e68df7d24a53

Lol, too little to late. The original TPP was already on the US’s “terms”. The revamped, new TPP took out all the crap the Americans insisted on in the first go around. You’re not getting that stuff back after making the boneheaded move of pulling out in the first place, nor do the 11 signees have a reason to acquiesce to American demands.

Hey Trump, instead of the TPP, how about firing Scott Pruitt and going back to the Paris Climate Accord.

My palm and face hurt so much right now.

Trump, the ultimate shill and dingbat.

trump has no idea on how to do this job

Frankly I'm only going to believe this if he actually does it. The boy who cries wolf all the time is not someone I'm trusting by word alone.

The Art of the Deal

Indeed.

@resevl4rlz: I’ve thought this since day one but it does seem like every day there’s more and more evidence of his utter incompetence.

Good. Both Trumpettes and Bernouts were completely wrong on the merits of the TPP. Problem is Trump is probably going to make ridiculous demands that won't be accepted by any of the TPP nations. Should just try to get back to the original deal or as close to it as possible and leave it at that.

Hmmm no responses from the Trump supporters and resident conservatives. I imagine even they must be disappointed? Speechless?

So much winning.

So much corporatism, it is time to stop pretending we have a left wing.

I think they should just hand everything over to Trump as a thank you for coming back and let him re-write the deal as he sees fit...it will no doubt benefit everyone.

They can even offer the paper and the crayons as a gesture of good will.

Does this man have any strategy at play that extends longer than a day? Like, at all? He has no idea what he’s doing. A presidency operated on impulse and emotion. I’d pay good money to be allowed access to the White House day to day currently. What a circus, expected when run by a clown.

He said he would come back to it if it changed.

@n64dd: The deal was already changed when the US left, the original deal was entirely in the US’s favour. There is a 0% chance of it changing again because the US has no leverage in the situation. Should have never left. ??‍♂️

He also may be using the platform of rejoining to get china to buckle in more.

@n64dd: Yeah for sure, but the Chinese aren’t stupid and know what the strategy is lol.

Even if the terms are less favorable, joining the TPP would be a good deal for the average American. Trump should do it. That's why I'm positive he won't.

after a year in office he finally actually read the agreement.

it's like rick perry at doe.

"now that i learned about it, i regress calling for its elimination"

They buckled on the tariff on cars didn't they?

^This.

Did they? Or you just talking about the statement given the other day?

done

@comp_atkins: We've got all the best drawings!

Statement about China scaling back on import tariffs on cars.

China likes to make empty promises in an effort to kick the can down the road. This is likely that.

/facepalm.

Trump really knows how to make him and America seem like a total dumbo.

TPP despite its flaws was better before and now, well Trump just proved he does not really think things through and does things on a whim.

What a shame.

@Jacanuk: I’m pleasantly surprised that you agree with me on this.

Will this be another example of "art of the deal" or whatever he named his book again?

@SUD123456: Come on. Don't quote mod when you're breaking the rules here :P Oh well only deleting it.

The Ol' flip flop