Trump's EU agreement shows he still knows art of the deal
Trump's EU trade deal is fuel for US economy
The EU deal is a big deal on multiple fronts.
When Trump threatened high tariffs in April, stock markets plummeted. Critics claimed Trump was wrecking the economy, and analysts raised fears of a recession this year.
Three months later, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 have set multiple record highs, job growth is strong and forecasters expect a healthy growth in gross domestic product when the second quarter number is released this week.
Opinion newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Get it delivered to your inbox.
I've heard few critics, save perhaps comedian Bill Maher, acknowledge that tariffs functioned as excellent leverage to persuade countries to agree to more favorable trade terms with the U.S.
Many of those critics underestimated the president's negotiation skills. The Financial Times reported that one European ambassador remarked, "Trump worked out exactly where our pain threshold is."
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Trump's EU deal will help blue-collar workers
The decades-long push for young people to attend college rather than gain the skills needed to work in a trade has created a labor gap. A McKinsey study released in 2024 found that manufacturers and construction companies face a hiring crunch for carpenters, electricians, welders and plumbers.
This EU deal might help change that as hundreds of billions of dollars are poured into the energy industry and other sectors. The financial incentives to work in the skilled trades could well be better than ever.
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Mike Rowe, former host of the television show "Dirty Jobs," has become an ambassador for blue-collar employment via his foundation, which offers scholarships to help young people complete a trade program.
On July 22, Rowe told Brian Kilmeade on his Fox News show that "paralegal, and anything creative, writing in general, coding ... AI is going to come for those" jobs.
But Rowe said there's never been a better time to become a skilled laborer: "We are entering the golden age of plumbing, steamfitting, pipefitting, welding, HVAC. Those jobs are not going to be impacted by" artificial intelligence.
Critics can hate Trump's personality all they want, but the president's ability to forge trade deals that favor American workers shouldn't be discounted.
I voted for this and would do so again. After months of economic wins, I'd like to know why you didn't?
Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.
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