President Donald Trump said Tuesday that China faced a much tougher deal if they failed to reach an agreement on trade before the 2020 election.
“China thinks I’m going to win so easily and they’re concerned because I told them, if it’s after the election it’s going to be far worse than what it is right now,” Trump said. “I told them that.”
The president spoke to reporters about his ongoing trade negotiations with China aboard Air Force One on a trip to California for a series of fundraisers.
Trade talks between the United States and Chinese officials continue this week, as the president postponed looming tariffs for 15 days.
“If it’s after the election, it’ll be the toughest deal anybody’s ever had to make from the standpoint of China, and they know that,” Trump said.
He said that China likely wanted 2020 Democrat candidates like former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren to win the presidency.
“China would love to have Sleepy Joe and Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren,” he said.
Trump continues to signal confidence that China will make a deal citing the economic pressures in their country as a result of the tariffs.
“I hope they still like me,” he said at his rally in Rio Rancho, New Mexico on Monday, noting that they were suffering the worst year economically in 57 years.
He criticized past presidents for allowing China to loot American industry as companies began outsourcing jobs and factories overseas.
“Somebody had to do something with China,” Trump said, Nobody did it, and so I’m doing it and that’s the way it’s going to happen.”