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2/ In Europe, a joke is making the rounds. Trump spent the year searching for a 51st state — Greenland said no, Canada said no, Panama said no. Meanwhile Europe, accused of civilizational decline, can't keep up with the membership applications.

14/9/26, 5:51 pm6 reposts15 likes

3/ Trump came to office with a theory. The US is the world's largest import market. Applied with enough force, this leverage would produce concessions on trade, investment, and the rules governing global competition.

4/ Turns out it hasn't worked. The goods trade deficit hit a record $1.24 trillion in 2025. Manufacturing shed tens of thousands of jobs. Trade with China fell — but was diverted to Vietnam, Taiwan, and Mexico. The overall imbalance barely moved.

5/ Canada — the US's largest trading partner — walked away from negotiations in August. Mark Carney said the US approach had "called into question the reliability of any deal." That used to be our closest ally.