Social Media Counter Narratives On Trump Tariff War – OpEd

“A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner. We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!” — US President Donald Trump https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114486066663976973

After his repeated assertions of admiration for his counterpart in China have not had much effect, President Donald Trump in desperation has sent his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Switzerland to meet with Chinese representatives to secure some kind of a deal that would provide him with a face saving retreat on the U.S. tariff war with China.

Some US media, in attempting to distract from what the great majority of American economic experts see as an indefensible and potentially ruinous economic strategy, have argued that the tariff war focus on China is necessary to bring down China’s geopolitical power and international influence through slowing its economic and technological rise. Other media have provided sensationalized reports on the loss of jobs that the tariff war has produced in China; with a few venturing to postulate that the tariff war could bring a “China collapse” and regime change.

What has been missing to date in the US media reports and analysis are the counter Trump and counter tariff war responses provided by ordinary Americans experiencing the downside and pain from the anti China economic policies as well as from those opposed to what they see as the undermining of American economic leadership and standing in the world.

These responses can be found in some readers’ comments appearing in leading US digital media websites which permit curated online comment on US foreign and domestic policy developments.

Social Media Tariff War Counter Narratives 

The following is a selection from the New York Times which has over 10 million subscribers

• The Chinese are the grown ups in the room. But good luck to them with their goal of getting clarity on what Trump actually wants by having these talks. Trump flip flops, reverses himself, bails out of agreements; it’s who he is and what he does, along the way bullying and insulting 
• Chinese are playing high level chess. Trump is playing beginners checkers. Advantage China
• Your president has no cards – nor does he understand that in Confucian based cultures anger and insults are a loss of face, not leverage. Nor are such acts ever forgotten
• There will be no “winners’ resulting from Trumps 145% tariff and the  125% tariffs China has levied on us  Our 2 economies are so intertwined that some time relatively near to now the pain from both of actions will slow will cause first inflation and then loss of jobs  This is now the Trump economy  People are not stupid and they will know who to blame if no deals are made, with  China, Canada, Mexico and the rest
• As someone who lived several years in Shanghai a/w/a Singapore, where I was chief political economist for ***** a/w/a a PhD in international political economy from Princeton,I wd say Trump & his minions are lucky they are getting any meeting at all w the Chinese
• In the 80s, American capitalists & their politicians dreamed of conquering the world’s largest market but lost on the free market & now they’re whining that China doesn’t play fair
• Why would any country make a trade deal with a felon with a track record of fraud who has repeatedly shown he can’t be trusted and will break any and all treaties based on his latest capricious whim?  The US made a huge mistake electing Trump. He’s not fit for the office.
• Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Trump is a former actor on a reality TV show, where he played the role of a successful businessman.  As is so often the case, the viewing public confused the actor with the role he was playing.  This led to vast swaths of the American public thinking he really is a successful businessman
• Trump’s raison d’etre is to embrace perceived grievance and to require capitulation before his endless petulance. The Chinese will likely offer modest concessions to assuage his massive ego thereby allowing him to claim a great victory for the American people while actually achieving humiliatingly little
• What Donald Trump is up to?  That is the question of the moment.  He changes his mind daily, hourly.  Depends on what he just heard from “advisors” such as John Voight (film tariffs), Laura Loomer, Tucker Carlson, Peter Navarro, and any other such agent of chaos who crosses path with Donald
• For me the day to look to is December 25.  If many homes have fewer ornaments and rostrum will be blamed for destroying Christmas.  As it is, he’s planning a large White House celebration of the birth of Jesus.  Hopefully it will be aglow in lights and joy.  The contrast will be sharp.   So, stay the course, earth and China.  Let’s see how Americans react to this along with higher prices.
• Looks to me that China has all the hardballs in their basket. A lowish level meeting between a couple guys that happened to be in the same city is not some breakthrough.   China will talk when America shows itself to be serious, and when they can put forward some serious ideas, assuming America has anyone who can do that.
• “The Chinese“ still have the upper hand”. If they still have it, they must have had it all along. So why would our stable genius administration start a fight with China if they knew they didn’t have the cards, to borrow a now infamous phrase? Is Trump trying to run up his bankruptcy number?
• Trump begged like a dog for weeks… and will either get nothing at all, or lose big time, even though he would declare victory either way. America has never been weaker in modern history and we have the most blatantly corrupt and incompetent federal government in modern history. What in Hades is collectively wrong with us?
• While not a fan of China, its good to see anyone stand up to the bully – Trump.  Too bad that our own Congress is too cowardly to think for themselves. It seems that a prime requirement to be a Republican nowadays is the inability to have an original thought.
• The idea of any of the incompetents in this administration attempting to speak to stratospherically smarter, more educated, more knowledgeable and more experienced representatives of China would be the funniest SNL skit ever.  Go ahead children, you go talk to those folks in China, we could all really use a good laugh after the horrific damage you’ve already done so far to our country.
• Never thought that I would wish Xi’s regime well but, in this case, I hope he shows up Trump for what he is – an unprincipled blowhard. Yes, China should play hardball. America’s stupid behaviour under Trump deserves nothing less.
• This is really no contest. China will send sharp and disciplined negotiators. They’ll eat the Trump team for lunch. The US economy has relied on consumer spending for decades. If that economic driver slows down it’ll pull the whole economy down with it.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/world/asia/china-us-tariff-talks.html

Why Trump Needs A Deal 

What has been getting surprising traction and support in the comments is the hope – born out of despair with what is happening in the U.S. – that the tariff war continues indefinitely so that the pain it brings to American consumers can lead to regime change within the U.S.itself. 

This opinion among opponents of Trump’s domestic policies not only wants China to stand firm in refusing to “kneel down” and compromise with a “bully”. They also feel that the China resistance can be a factor to assist in their fight against Trump’s MAGA plutocratic, anti-democratic and neo-liberal agenda.

For now, although the Trump administration is trying to spin that China is the side that is retreating first on the Switzerland talks, a growing number of ordinary Americans want China to hold firm and not to concede any concessions that Trump can announce as a victory in his blog site.