On August 25, 2019, Politico reports that “Trump continued to shrug off responsibility for any economic fallout from his trade war with China on Wednesday, arguing that a face-off with Beijing was necessary due to the failures of past administrations. Trump painted himself as a reluctant warrior, shifting from his usual narrative that the trade fight is not hurting the American economy or his political prospects to asserting that it was something he had to do. The president also adopted a religious theme in describing his role in picking a trade fight with China, saying: “I am the chosen one.” “Somebody said it is Trump’s trade war,” he said. “This isn’t my trade war. This is a trade war that should have taken place a long time ago by a lot of other presidents.”

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