Trump balks on China tariffs and lies about trade deal win
That was the theme for "The Apprentice," Trump's NBC "reality television" show that so thoroughly distorted his past that many Americans were duped into thinking he was a bright business operator (and not just a fortunate son born to a wealthy father).
And that's the story President Trump is still sticking to. This framing helps explain his weird and rambling White House schtick on Monday, May 12, before he boarded Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East.
Trump spoke for about an hour, bragging about an executive order to lower the cost of prescription drugs (which he lacks the power to enforce), a "trade deal" with China (which was really just him backing down from ill-conceived and stupidly executed tariffs), and the biggest proposed gift from a foreign country to America in history (which Trump got defensive about because of how openly corrupt the concept is).
That's a lot, right? Let's break it down.
Trump makes toothless proclamation on drug prices
Trump's executive order set a 30-day deadline for the pharmaceutical industry to voluntarily lower the prices for drugs used by Americans or else he'll sic the federal government on them. As with all Trump plans - spoiler alert: There is no real plan - he was all over the place with his claims, promising price drops of 50% to 90%.
This from a president who just sucked the air out of every retirement account in the country by setting off, and then pausing, and the setting off, and then pausing again, a trade war over tariffs. Again, there is no real plan here.
But there is diversion at play. Trump would much rather have you trying to figure out what his intentions are with drugmakers than have you focus on how House Republicans are taking a hatchet to Medicaid in an attempt to salvage his attempt to extend his 2017 package of tax cuts.
Opinion: Trump and his do-nothing Republicans face 'one big, beautiful' bust of a budget
Does Trump remember his first term as president? Because he tried something similar, though on a smaller scale, with drug pricing then. And a legal case brought that to a swift halt.
The terrible betrayal here is that Americans really do pay more for drugs than people in other countries. A responsible president would work with Congress to fix that problem.
But that's not Trump's narrative. Actual work, creating plans and then putting them in action, is for suckers when you can declare victory and then jet off on a state visit to Middle East countries that have a vested interest in making you feel like a winner.
Trump didn't make a great deal with China. He backed off.
It would have been more fun if Trump had flown to China.
On May 11, Trump blinked in his game of economic chicken with China, cutting for 90 days reciprocal tariffs of 125% that he had placed on products from that country while keeping in place tariffs of 30%. Asked at the White House if those tariffs could shoot back up in 90 days, Trump seemed open to that idea (because he has no real plan).
Charles Gasparino, a senior correspondent for Fox Business, summed this up nice and neat in a social media post that went viral before Trump spoke at the White House: "Trump raised tariffs on the world, the markets, particularly the bond market - which we need to finance our debt - rebelled. Trump then was forced to back off. End of story."
Remember Trump's reality-bending narrative here. There is no end to the story where he isn't a winner.
Opinion: I asked Team Trump why they now hate a 'woke' bill he himself signed into law
Trump's biggest story comes in the form of a gifted jet from Qatar
That will absolutely be a distraction during his travels as Trump insists on accepting a $400 million Boeing 747 jet from the family that rules Qatar. ABC News broke that story the day before he left on his trip.
Naturally, Trump lashed out at the White House when an ABC News correspondent asked what he would say to Americans who view the jet as a personal gift from Qatar.
"Let me tell you, you should be embarrassed asking that question," replied Trump, sticking to his narrative that he's always a winner and that anybody who sees it differently is some sort of loser.
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The U.S. Constitution's Emoluments Clause is crystal clear that an American president can't accept a gift like a 747 "without the Consent of the Congress," which Trump likely knows he won't get here for his shiny new airplane.
Trump's claim here is that he will use the jet until his term ends, then it will go to his presidential library. He also insisted that he would not use the plane when he is no longer president. If you buy that, you are precisely the type of fool who wants to fall for the fabrication.
But the Trump story going forward from here is how he got a great gift for America (really for himself), and that only people who hate America (what he says about people who see him for who he really is) will cry foul about it.
The question is, what percentage of Americans are willing to let his duplicity slide, and what percentage will call him out for it? The one thing we can know for sure is that Trump doesn't have a plan for what comes next.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByCrisBrennan. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Translating Politics, here.
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