American economist and Johns Hopkins University professor Steve Hanke believes that Donald Trump is heading toward self-destruction by pursuing trade wars against other nations. This statement comes amid rising tensions between the US and India, triggered by the US decision to raise tariffs on Indian goods by up to 50 percent.
Professor Hanke stated, “The main thing is to follow the advice of Napoleon. He said, ‘Never interfere with the enemy in the process of destroying himself.’ I think Trump is destroying himself.” Hanke advised India to wait, stating, “I think in the case of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar should keep their cards close to their chest and wait a bit. I say this because I think Trump’s house of cards will collapse. The economic shocks of the tariffs are built on sand.” Professor Hanke asserted that the US faces a large trade deficit because Americans spend more than the gross national product. “Therefore, the economics are completely wrong,” he concluded.
The Chinese ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, also criticized Trump. He said, “Give the bully an inch, and he will take a mile. Using tariffs as a weapon to suppress other countries violates the UN Charter. It weakens the rules of the World Trade Organization, and it is both unpopular and unstable.”