A real dealmaker knows: the side with the most to lose moves first. Tariffs are a signal flare—letting the world know the U.S. is no longer a pushover. The media sees them as reckless. Dealmakers see them as calculated.
When you impose pressure, you don’t do it for fun—you do it because negotiation requires imbalance. Without friction, there’s no movement. And without movement, there’s no deal. Trade isn’t won with diplomacy alone. It’s won by forcing momentum. The U.S. has finally put its weight behind its words. That’s how you reshape the terms.