It's a rather empty threat because only Congress, not Trump can impose duties on imports.
And Congress will. Trump literally wrote the book on deal making. It's what he does. All these conflicts you leftists conjure in your short sighted and frightened imaginations won't come to pass. Trump has a history of great, unbelievable feats by making a team out of competing interests and unifying them with a single vision.
You seem to have Trump confused with the negro you elected who rules by blunt force and royal edict. This country has been starving for real leadership so long that our expectations have been lowered to cynical levels. Donald Trump is a proven leader, team builder, and deal maker and he will continue to astound dim sighted fools in both parties.
A trade agreement such as NAFTA is not a deal, it is thousands of deals made by negotiators, legislators, and other interested parties. It is nothing even close to Trump's financial deals.
First, off the president has to get permission from congress to negotiate and agreement such as NAFTA. The governments of Mexico and Canada likewise must get approval according to their laws. Preliminary meetings decide on the scope and each government has to approve it. Following that, separate committees are set up to negotiate each area. Meanwhile congress with one or more subcommittees will track negotiations meeting with interested groups in the US, exporters, importers, and dozens of others representatives of various parties. These committees in each country will supply lists of request to negotiators. Through the process, Congressional committees discuss and approve or disprove of various articles. This happens in each country.
Trade treaty negotiations takes years due to the number of parties involved. For example, Reagan got permission from congress to negotiate a free trade agreement, NAFTA with Mexico and Canada in 1984. The treaty did not get final approval and go into effect until 1994, 11 years after the process began. The Transpacific Partnership, TPP was fast tracked which means it did not have to have full approval of the Senate. It went into effect in 2016, 8 years after negotiations.
Presidents do not negotiate trade treaties but are responsible for the end product which means they share their view of the goals with the head negotiator, they lobby congress, handle the media and of course have final approval of the the agreement. However, much of what goes into the negotiations comes from congress which reflects the views of constituents and lobbyists.
The major difference in a trade treaty and a Trump deal is that a Trump deal effects only a few parties and is a private financial agreement whereas a trade agreement is a political agreement between nations effecting millions of people and hundreds of thousands of businesses. The skills a president needs are political skills, not negotiation skills. Few people seem to understand that.
Those are one and the same. It seems YOU don't understand that. Trump is a break from politics as usual where the establishment in both parties foisted this horrible deal on us that caused a steady exsanguination of manufacturing jobs that were the staple of the American middle class. He is in a singular position of expertise to understand the impact NAFTA has had on the American workforce and the ability to buy a home and raise a family working for a single company with great pay and benefits, something Democrats USED to champion.
And you think Congress is going to be an issue? Pul-leeze! The same Republican Congress that gave Obama EVERYTHING he asked for and approved every budget will do the same for Trump. Or did you really imagine that the same Congress that didn't oppose the Iran deal will suddenly grow a spine under Trump?
So yes, NAFTA will be renegotiated. Yes, the wall will be built. And yes, Mexico will pay for it.
Yes, we can!
