How Donald Trump blackmailed the world, and got away with it

With tariffs, deportations and threats to annex territory of allies and friendly countries Donald Trump really knows how to destroy long groomed relations with countries the US benefits from.

Trump claims that all countries would only send products to the US, but not buy, leaving the US with a a trade deficit. While that might be true, it's a fact since decades. Then make better products to appeal Europeans! But none of the then incumbent US presidents addressed this issue with tariffs. Setting COVID-19 and other not calculable factors aside, the US still fared pretty well.

To me Trumps appears to be shortsighted to slap tariffs onto its long standing allies, because with retaliating "Dollar-for-Dollar", like Canada does. This might backfire badly for the US, and not just in the short term as Trump promises. But Canada will suffer too. It remains to be seen who has the longer breath.

Soon after elected, but before taking the office in the White House he lines out tariffs for long standing allies, annexation of land from allies, like Greenland governed by Denmark, as well as taking back the Panama Canal, to reduce Chinese influence. Threatening an ally and NATO member with war never happened before in a democracy. That only happens in countries like Russia, where dictators rule. They only see their selfish short term benefit and don't care what happens to their citizens once they are dead.

The threads themselves are interesting already. Announcing tariffs, deportations and other things as soon as being elected, that builds up a thread over Canada or Mexico. Not stopping there to create a hostile environment he becomes vague in some aspects. "I might definitely do it, but no timeline yet... Or I may not do it". That was the case with the European Union, which are next in the firing line, while possibly exempting the UK, because its Premier "is a good guy". Well that is at least one good reason the UK initiated BREXIT.

Donald Trump said "...the United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world" and "They owe us a lot of money, and I'm sure they're going to pay". Well it's the US' problem if their products don't have much appeal in other countries. Make them better!

So for example Canada and Mexico were subject to 25 % tariff, but he comes with an even weirder reason why Canada has to pay more tax since February 2025: Trump says large amounts of Fentanyl were coming via the northern border, and blackmails Canada to stop the flow Actually just .08 % of all substances came via Canada. Besides it is the job of the boarder customs to check incoming traffic, so the job of the US. If Canada wold use the same narrative to explain the reasons for their retaliatory reaction one could argue that is for the flow of illegal firearms arriving in Canada from the US. But even if Canada for example could stop the flow of Fentanyl to zero, there would be no change towards the tariffs. Because Fentanyl was just a pretext. Too bad Canada already signaled they will beef up the boarder protection.

In all of his decrees Trump sounds like the victim, citing other countries would have abused the US long enough, and now it's time to show the naughty and spoiled kids in the other sandbox who is the boss. Like a father telling his child to behave, or else... He behaves like a classic bully by threatening financial and militarily weaker countries, which are allies, with tariffs or even war. Claiming to be the victim, when you are not, is an easy way to get what you want, if the opposite side, and especially your people believe in that claim. But it's a weak excuse to twist reality if you are incompetent.

The only thing a bully understands is strong opposition. My hope is the European Union and other western powers stand firm against Trump. Yes, retaliatory will hurt a country in the short term even more. But in the long term the initiator (the Trump administration) should see that more damage than good is done to the own country, thus tariffs cannot be sustained. Then you have to wait and hope until January 20th 2029, that a "not so dumb" US President will take office, and also tries to mend the damage Donald Trump has done to US' allies and the democracy.

Unfortunately a few countries already gave in to Trumps demands. Like Columbia, which first objected the deportation of its illegally in the US living citizens. But when Trump blackmailed Columbia with high tariffs they carved in. I suppose other countries will also back down when opposed to a bully like Trump.

Trump's actions make the allies lose trust in the US. All the hard work which has been put in since around the 1940s is subject to destruction by a shortsighted Donald Trump, who doesn't care about what has been established, only for his short term benefits and those of his oligarchs, like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk. And honestly, why should he care. He's (soon) 80 years old and might have not so long anymore. In case he helped the autocracy to gain power over democracy and China and Russia might become the dominate world powers. He will be dead when he left the democratic world in shambles.

Another idea on the table for Canadian's Trudeau might even be sanctions on crude oil. He hasn't mentioned an oil embargo directly, but it sounds like an option to get the American bully back in line to me. Because the US is hungry for oil and might just use the thread of an oil embargo as option to talk sense into Trump. kick him where it hurts most. And I don't know if Trump has any leverage for additional countermeasures if the oil pipeline runs dry.

At the end there might be no winner under the parties participating in a trade war. The true winner will be members of the BRICS blog, foremost China. China has won a trade war they never fought, and will rule commerce while the US and its (former?) allies lick their wounds.

And how is it even possible an several times impeached and even convicted criminal could return to office? What is wrong with those who voted for him? Does democracy and a globalized future where you have allies has no meaning for them? How could this happen?!

Interestingly Trump on the 3rd of February postponed tariffs for 30 days after Canada agreed to bolster its border with the US. No more "Canada is no viable country" talk anymore, but describing the country a "reliable partner". My guess is that Trump was surprised about the firm retaliatory measurements Canada has planned. Like Prime Minister Ford of Ontario blocking American investments. To get Trump an exit ramp Trudeau might have agreed to beef up border security. What did Trump learn? You don't f**k with Canada.