[Steel_Phoenix]

They only need to satisfy one man's opinion on whether they've done what they should.

I see a very different picture of why he does what he does. In this case, I think he's trying to pressure House Democrats into signing the USMCA, which would remove the tariff and give Pelosi the ability to claim she stopped him. If they don't, then he still meets his goals of renegotiating trade to reduce deficits.

He also isn't negotiating this in a vacuum. It sends a message to China and everyone else that deals will be renegotiated, whether they come to the table or not. One of his primary skills is forcing people into situations where if they try to ignore him, it hurts them greatly. He maintains his constant press coverage by saying something terrible about an issue he thinks he can win. He takes the hit and then fights his way up the resulting maelstrom.

[benj111]

Perhaps, but on the other hand, would anyone actually have confidence in him then sticking to what he says. Is there any actual point in negotiating with him?

[Steel_Phoenix]

Certainly. He's shown himself to be quite willing to listen. He postponed major Chinese tariffs on multiple occasions, referencing their good faith actions in negotiations. That was worth their time by itself. In the case of Mexico, he negotiated and signed on to the USMCA, which if Pelosi would pass it, would get them out of the current Tariff battle. By giving them collective bargaining and minimum wage, he would reduce their ability to undercut the US. He wants to be taken seriously as a negotiator. He'll gladly remove old agreements that are no longer in our best interest, but he'd be loath to remove his own accomplishments without strong reasons.