Trump turns Air Force One into a boardroom — and dares China to blink

Few radical successful the satellite recognize the powerfulness of symbols amended than Donald Trump.

He doesn’t conscionable get pugnacious connected migration — helium builds a wall. He doesn’t conscionable chopped taxes for hardworking radical — helium eliminates taxes connected overtime and tips, putting wealth successful the pockets of the radical who punch a clock. Every argumentation comes packaged successful a picture, a story, a gut-level representation that lands earlier a azygous connection is read.

So erstwhile Donald Trump boards Air Force One bound for Beijing with a level afloat of American CEOs — Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, and others — don’t beryllium fooled into reasoning that’s conscionable a meeting. That’s a statement. That’s the president of the United States walking into the astir consequential economical narration successful the satellite and saying: American concern is successful the room. We came to compete. We came to win.

The U.S. and China are moving toward a managed commercialized model — a alleged "Board of Trade" for nonsensitive goods — with some sides perchance identifying astir $30 cardinal worthy of imports wherever tariffs could beryllium reduced. That’s not tiny ball. But the fig astir doesn’t matter. What matters is the optics. What matters is the message.

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The past clip a sitting U.S. president visited China was astir a decennary ago. Trump is the 1 who made that travel happen. He’s the 1 successful the room.

Now, here’s what the polls accidental close present — and I privation to beryllium honorable astir them due to the fact that I deliberation they archer a much analyzable communicative than the headlines suggest.

Trump’s economical support has dropped to 30% successful a caller CNN poll, with astir two-thirds of Americans saying his policies person worsened economical conditions nationally. His wide occupation support sits astatine 40%, a five-point driblet from past quarter, with a nett support of minus 18 — the lowest measured crossed either of his terms. The stock of Americans saying the system is "getting worse" has climbed from 25% successful January 2025 to 61% today.

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Those are existent numbers. I won’t unreal otherwise.

When Donald Trump boards Air Force One bound for Beijing with a level afloat of American CEOs — Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, and others — don’t beryllium fooled into reasoning that’s conscionable a meeting. That’s a statement.

But present is what I cognize arsenic idiosyncratic who has spent decades studying however nationalist sentiment really moves: Sentiment is simply a lagging indicator. People consciousness the symptom earlier they consciousness the relief. And close now, they are feeling the symptom — astatine the state pump, astatine the market store, successful their wallets. That anxiousness is real, and nary magnitude of symbolism fixes a household budget.

But symbolism matters for what comes next.

President Trump was greeted by a ceremonial authorities invited erstwhile helium touched down successful Beijing connected Wednesday evening up of high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Alex Wong/Getty Images))

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My prediction: We are going to commencement to spot a displacement successful these numbers — and this China travel is 1 of the reasons why. When radical spot the president of the United States commanding a country successful Beijing, flanked by the CEOs of America’s biggest companies, warring for American jobs and American concern connected the satellite stage, thing shifts. It whitethorn not determination overnight. But it moves.

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Donald Trump is besides the caput of cardinal casting. He knows however to capable a country to nonstop a message. When Trump visited China during his archetypal word successful 2017, astir 30 CEOs accompanied him, signing 37 large deals worthy much than $250 billion. The imagery of that travel — and the deals that followed — is seared successful the representation of anyone who watched it. He’s trying to recreate that vigor now.

The White House enactment it plainly: "Americans tin expect the president to present much bully deals for the United States portion successful China." That’s the bet. And Trump has made that stake earlier and won.

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The question is whether the American radical are watching — and whether they’re acceptable to update what they believe. Public sentiment doesn’t determination successful a consecutive line. It moves successful moments. And this week, the infinitesimal is Beijing.

Message sent. Message received.

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