US President Trump had comments on Saturday morning on his regrets. Later reversed.
Let's try to plot a timeline and get some sort of order, bolding mine:
1.
During a breakfast with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting … a reporter asked Trump whether he had any "second thoughts" about his escalating trade war with China.
Trump responded, "Yeah, sure. Why not. Might as well," he said. "Might as well. I have second thoughts about everything."
2.
Trump then claimed that talks were going well with China and that he planned to back away from some of his recent threats, such as seeking to force companies to leave China.
3.
The White House weighed in later, said Trump's suggestion that he regretted escalating the trade war with China was "misinterpreted" and that what he regrets is not raising tariffs higher.
On the back down over ordering US companies out of China:
- On Friday, Trump had said that "I hereby order" U.S. companies to prepare to stop doing business with China,
- on Sunday Trump reversed this also, said he had no plans to invoke this law "I have no plans right now," Trump said. "Actually, we're getting along very well with China right now."
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While Trump can be criticised on a policy level, he is very active on policy setting, on a personal level it does appear he deserves some sympathy with respect to his declining faculties. I hope he can find help and wish him well.
