Staff Reports
Donald Trump recently took a shot at his predecessors while discussing America’s ongoing trade imbalance with China. In a no-nonsense, truth-telling manner typical of the former president, he made it clear that he sees the real culprits not as the Chinese but as the past occupants of the Oval Office. During a signing of an executive order, Trump expressed that the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of those who sat behind the desk, implying they were either clueless or too cowardly to take action when it was necessary.
Trump didn’t mince words when condemning the leadership that came before him. He elaborated that those who occupied the presidency made grave mistakes that contributed to the current trade fiasco. He pointed out that this disaster was building long before the Biden administration, even calling attention to the era of Barack Obama. It seems that past presidents, in Trump’s view, either lacked the brains or the guts to put America first, paving the way for what he describes as one of the greatest trade blunders.
The former president laid much of the blame on the World Trade Organization (WTO), which he characterized as a body woefully tilted in favor of China. Trump lamented that China had the upper hand, reaping the benefits of agreements that classified them as a developing nation while the U.S. was left holding the bag. He humorously noted that America’s own inner cities could qualify as “developing” areas, suggesting that the narrative served China far too well and led to the country’s exploitation.
President Donald Trump blames his predecessors and not China for the trade imbalance between the United States and China.https://t.co/e3ISlaWILa
— Ricardo J Vidal (@rvidal0110) April 10, 2025
In a trademark rhetorical flourish, Trump explained how he struggled to understand how past leaders could agree to such lopsided deals during his own time in office. His incredulity over past trade agreements indicates that he believed anyone with a basic grasp of reading skills should have spotted the problems immediately. The suggestion that past trade negotiators were either ineffective or suspiciously negligent adds a layer of drama to his critique, which might make some listeners chuckle or shake their heads in disbelief.
According to Trump, while other nations have done well at America’s expense, the ultimate blame falls on U.S. leaders, who failed to protect American interests. “If you could read first grade, you’d know these are terrible deals,” he quipped, emphasizing the need for smarter, more assertive trade policies. The former president’s reflections on trade agreements signal a clear instruction for future leadership: don’t be fooled, be vigilant, and make America’s economic position great again.
