As Trump Pursues His Trade Agenda, Other Countries' Views Shift On Ties With China

Welcome to nan online type of From nan Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you nan NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and study from nan White House, Capitol Hill and nan run trail.

In today’s edition, Scott Bland breaks down caller canvass numbers that show nan world’s views shifting connected China and nan economy. Plus, Sahil Kapur examines really Republican members of Congress are hate-voting for definite pieces of legislation.

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— Adam Wollner

As Trump pursues his waste and acquisition agenda, different countries’ views displacement connected ties pinch China

Analysis by Scott Bland

President Donald Trump’s first twelvemonth backmost successful nan White House has coincided pinch immoderate crisp changes successful allied countries’ assessments of nan value of Chinese economical ties.

That’s according to caller information from surveys conducted successful 25 countries by nan Pew Research Center. Pew notes that nan changing attitudes besides bespeak a rebound from debased points successful nan contiguous aftermath of nan Covid-19 pandemic, which began successful China.

But nan information besides demonstrates really Trump’s presidency and his waste and acquisition schedule person sharply shifted nationalist sentiment successful different nations — shifts that could person far-reaching effects for years.

In particular, Pew asked whether it was much important for each state surveyed to person close economical ties pinch nan U.S. aliases China. Generally, nan stock of respondents choosing China has grown successful caller years, while nan United States’ stock has shrunk. But 2 nations successful peculiar guidelines out.

There’s Australia, which this week is hosting subject exercises meant to awesome spot against China. This year, Australian respondents said 53%-42% that having person economical ties pinch China is much important. Four years ago, that was reversed — 52%-39% toward nan U.S.

And past there’s Mexico, 1 of nan biggest U.S. trading partners. Mexican study respondents person agelong recognized nan value of nan waste and acquisition narration pinch nan U.S., but amid nan back-and-forth connected tariffs this year, they divided connected whether ties pinch nan U.S. aliases China were much important.

These opinions person shifted complete time, and there’s nary telling wherever they’ll spell successful nan future. But arsenic nan U.S. tries to displacement its waste and acquisition argumentation and tries to antagonistic China geopolitically, these surveys connection immoderate early grounds of backlash successful 1 realm that could impact nan other.

Republicans support voting for bills they opportunity they don’t like

By Sahil Kapur

There’s a caller inclination successful Congress that has emerged successful President Donald Trump’s 2nd term: Republican lawmakers crossed nan ideological spectrum support voting for bills they person publically criticized.

In immoderate cases, GOP members of Congress person explicitly threatened to ballot “no” connected bills they opportunity are profoundly flawed earlier yet folding and voting “yes.” In others, they pass bills they person voted for will require fixing down nan road.

A fewer notable examples:

Medicaid: Two weeks aft voting to walk a sweeping home argumentation measure that cuts Medicaid by astir $1 trillion, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a measure to repeal immoderate of those cuts.

“Now is nan clip to forestall immoderate early cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,” Hawley said successful a statement.

Hawley said he feared nan party’s megabill would origin semipermanent harm if nan Medicaid cuts are afloat implemented, but still voted for it because it will present much infirmary money for Missouri successful nan first 4 years.

“You can’t get everything you want successful 1 portion of legislation. I for illustration a batch of what we did. I don’t for illustration immoderate of it,” he told reporters aft unveiling his ain measurement connected Tuesday.

National debt: Nowhere has this move been much pronounced than pinch nan ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members person many times threatened to reason bills earlier acquiescing nether unit from Trump. With Trump’s megabill, they complained astir reddish ink: It’s expected to adhd $3.3 trillion to nan nationalist indebtedness complete 10 years, according to nan Congressional Budget Office.

“What nan Senate did is unconscionable,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said successful a Rules Committee meeting, vowing that “I’ll ballot against it present and I’ll ballot against it connected nan floor.” He yet voted for that bill, unamended, aft conservatives were told Congress would see early bills to little nan debt.

Rescissions: And successful nan run-up to nan votes connected a package to cancel $9 cardinal successful antecedently approved funding for overseas assistance and nationalist broadcasting, respective Republicans expressed superior concerns pinch its substance, its deference to nan executive branch and nan harm it could do to bipartisan dealmaking connected authorities backing successful nan future.

“I fishy we’re going to find retired location are immoderate things that we’re going to regret. Some second- and third-order effects. And I fishy that erstwhile we do, we’ll person to travel backmost and hole it,” said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, earlier voting successful favour of nan bill.

Bottom line: It isn’t different for lawmakers to backmost authorities they telephone imperfect. But this year, that opposition has go much stark. It comes arsenic Trump has solidified his grasp complete nan GOP base, resulting successful lawmakers increasing progressively leery of crossing him and risking their governmental futures.

Read much from Sahil →

✉️ Mailbag: Could Democrats undo nan ‘big, beautiful bill’?

Thanks to everyone who emailed us! This week’s scholar mobility is connected nan early of nan megabill President Donald Trump signed into law.

“If nan Democrats summation power of some chambers of Congress really overmuch of nan Republicans measure tin they change?”

In theory, Democrats could alteration much, if not all, of what’s successful nan caller taxation trim and spending rule if they were successful powerfulness successful Washington, utilizing nan aforesaid party-line “budget reconciliation” process Republicans conscionable utilized. But they won’t beryllium successful that position for a while — and they whitethorn not want to wholly do distant pinch nan sweeping package.

Let’s commencement pinch nan first point. Given Republicans’ mini mostly successful nan enclosure and the accustomed headwinds nan statement successful powerfulness faces during a midterm, Democrats person a bully changeable astatine winning nan power of nan House adjacent year. But nan Senate is simply a different story. As we’ve written, Democrats face an uphill climb to nan mostly successful 2026, and the 2028 map doesn’t look overmuch much favorable, pinch nan number of states splitting their statesmanlike and Senate tickets dwindling.

Then of course, moreover if Democrats negociate to return power of some chambers of Congress, they won’t person an opportunity astatine nan White House until 2028.

As for nan 2nd point, location are a batch of aspects of nan “big, beautiful bill” Democrats would for illustration to reverse, astir notably nan cuts to Medicaid and nutrient assistance programs. But location are others, specified arsenic “no taxation connected tips,” that person garnered support from Democrats.

And while Democrats support expanding nan existent taxation rates connected nan apical earners, they wouldn’t want nan 2017 taxation cuts that nan rule extends to wholly expire. That would mean taxation hikes connected middle- and lower-income Americans, too.

That’s each From nan Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Dylan Ebs.

If you person feedback — likes aliases dislikes — email america astatine politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

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