Trump’s Tariff Letters: Erratic Diplomacy Threatens America’s Economic Security

In a world demanding clear leadership, President Trump has taken an unprecedented approach to trade diplomacy—issuing blunt, fill-in-the-blank tariff letters that unsettle longstanding partners and threaten American economic security. Far from fostering cooperation, these letters signal a reckless escalation of trade tensions with allies like Canada, Brazil, the European Union, and Mexico. Remember the promise of “90 trade deals in 90 days” early in Trump’s second term? That ambitious vision quickly evaporated into a confusing volley of threats disguised as formal correspondence. As the president candidly admitted, negotiating with “200 countries” is impractical. His solution: mass-mailed letters setting arbitrary tariff...