Trump Hits EU With Tariff Threats, Revisits Canada Bridge Deal
Trump weighed in on China, Russia and Iran weapons claims, said Canada had stiffed the United States on the Gordie Howe Bridge deal, and threatened fresh action against the European Union over tech fines. He also amplified a post about Bulgaria and U.S. air base support, linking the day’s messages to his broader arguments about trade leverage and foreign policy. The posts mixed personal diplomacy, tariff pressure, and complaints that allies are exploiting American companies and agreements.
China, Russia and Iran Weapons Claims
ForeignPolicyTrump said Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would not sell weapons to Iran, including through Chinese companies, and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a similar assurance. He framed both as leaders whose interests would be harmed by arming Tehran, while also repeating his claim that U.S. weapons to Ukraine go only to NATO countries that pay full price.
This post ties together three of Trump’s standing themes: personal diplomacy, deterrence toward Iran, and a transactional view of U.S. alliances. By casting himself as the channel through which Xi and Putin have made assurances, he presents foreign policy as a matter of elite relationships and dealmaking rather than institutions, which reinforces his preferred image of direct leadership. The reference to Ukraine and NATO also signals how he continues to defend military support as a business-like arrangement, while trying to preempt criticism that U.S. policy is indirectly fueling wider conflict.
"President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran"
"they would not sell Weapons to Iran."