But here’s the deal: There’s no deal to be had.

Behind the glad-handing and theatrics, Trump doesn’t even know what he wants. He has found his preferred tool in achieving his grandiose goals — ending the drug crisis, eliminating America’s trade deficits, reviving American manufacturing — and it is tariffs. Don’t like those demands? Don’t worry, he has others: A place to send the people he’s deporting, free capital to invest in American manufacturing, or unrivaled access to rare earth minerals. Exactly what Canada is supposed to do to escape tariffs remains murky as ever.

We’re not the only ones. Trump’s conspiratorial trade adviser Peter Navarro once promised to sign “90 deals in 90 days.” The administration’s biggest deal has been with China — and it’s a loser. The deal reduces, but doesn’t drop, American tariffs on China in exchange for more critical minerals from Beijing. This is Trump’s version of a win-win: He gets concessions, but gets to keep the tariffs.

But here’s the deal: There’s no deal to be had.

Behind the glad-handing and theatrics, Trump doesn’t even know what he wants. He has found his preferred tool in achieving his grandiose goals — ending the drug crisis, eliminating America’s trade deficits, reviving American manufacturing — and it is tariffs. Don’t like those demands? Don’t worry, he has others: A place to send the people he’s deporting, free capital to invest in American manufacturing, or unrivaled access to rare earth minerals. Exactly what Canada is supposed to do to escape tariffs remains murky as ever.

We’re not the only ones. Trump’s conspiratorial trade adviser Peter Navarro once promised to sign “90 deals in 90 days.” The administration’s biggest deal has been with China — and it’s a loser. The deal reduces, but doesn’t drop, American tariffs on China in exchange for more critical minerals from Beijing. This is Trump’s version of a win-win: He gets concessions, but gets to keep the tariffs.