Time is running out for Trump, as major powers around the world are now openly confronting him.

Based on the latest developments, it seems the tariff war between China and the U.S. has already produced a clear outcome.

Of course, there are no real winners in a trade war — but it’s fair to say that China has come out slightly ahead.

Meanwhile, Trump’s reckless use of tariffs as a weapon has thoroughly alienated much of the world.

However, China has used this moment to reshape its global “circle of friends.”

But now that the situation has escalated to this point — who can truly bring this tariff war to a complete halt?

01

It’s important to remember that the United States once had 47 military allies — but everything changed after Trump took office.

At the Munich Security Conference, the U.S. Vice President openly lashed out, which sparked growing dissatisfaction among longtime allies.

To make matters worse, Trump’s tariff policies didn’t show the slightest leniency toward those same allies. With friends like that, who would still want to stand by him?

That’s why his current attempt to use the same economic containment tactics against China — as he did with Russia — is clearly no longer effective.

Of course, we’ve also suffered our share of setbacks in the past.

Back when Trump first became President in 2017, he visited China near the end of the year, and at the time, the visit was marked by warmth and mutual goodwill from both sides.

But after returning to the U.S., he immediately launched a trade war against us — it was the first time China had seen an American president “change faces” so quickly.

So when he made his way back to the White House this time, China was already well-prepared to face another round of tariff warfare at any moment.

What’s more, with the Belt and Road Initiative driving development across participating countries, China has gained many new trade partners around the world.

But as everyone knows, “there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” These trade relationships may seem stable on the surface — as long as there’s no outside interference.

But once external forces (like the U.S.) start exerting pressure, the outcome becomes far less predictable.

But ironically, Trump’s tariff stick has given us the perfect opportunity to screen and reshape our circle of friends.

Impose tariffs? Fine — then we’ll start importing soybeans from Brazil, beef from Australia, and crude oil from Russia instead.

That said, there are no true winners in a tariff war or trade war — it’s always a case of hurting your opponent by a thousand while wounding yourself by eight hundred.

Now that things have reached this point, the world has also come to witness the full extent of Trump’s “variety.”

So the real question is — who can still step up and stop him from spiraling further out of control?

02

When it comes to stopping Trump, many people’s first instinct is to point to his rival — the Democratic Party.

After all, the two major parties in the U.S. have always been locked in fierce competition. Every presidential election ultimately comes down to one simple question: which party can secure the win.

But you’ll notice that ever since Trump took office, aside from a few Democratic lawmakers and figures like former President Obama who have spoken out against him, most others have seemingly faded into the background — like political “ghosts.”

Have they all really bowed to the pressure of Trump’s dominance?

Or are they simply choosing silence over confrontation in a game they feel they can’t win… yet?

Whether it’s the House of Representatives or the Senate, Trump’s Republican Party currently holds the majority.

So whether it’s opposing tariff policies, launching military action against the Houthis, cutting government spending, or even trying to impeach Trump — the Democrats may object, but they don’t have the numbers to stop it.

At the end of the day, no matter what’s being debated, it’s Trump’s Republican Party that has the final say.

But it’s worth noting — aside from Trump, no other U.S. president in history has wielded tariffs like a blunt weapon.

If tariffs were really that effective, why didn’t any of his predecessors use them the same way? Was it because they were just nicer people?

Not exactly.

The truth is, tariffs aren’t something you can adjust on a whim. Just like we’re seeing now — once a tariff policy is launched, look how many allies and trade partners the U.S. has offended. On the global economic stage, tariffs of this scale are practically the equivalent of a nuclear weapon — destructive, far-reaching, and impossible to take lightly.

To prevent abuse of tariff powers, the U.S. has long had regulations in place: any such bill must first pass through the House of Representatives and ultimately be approved by Congress before it becomes law.

But Trump didn’t follow that process. Instead, he chose to bypass Congress altogether by declaring a national emergency.

Now, given that his Republican Party already holds significant sway in Congress, why wouldn’t he just go through the formal process?

The answer is simple: tariffs, for any country, are a powerful bargaining chip. You can think of them as a double-edged sword — useful for self-defense, but also a weapon of pressure.

Trump, however, was in too much of a hurry. The U.S. fiscal situation no longer allowed him the luxury of time or political back-and-forth.

So, in order to speed things up, he declared a national emergency — a move that granted the president unilateral authority to make decisions on such matters.

That’s exactly how he was able to slap a 34% tariff on China one day, then immediately bump it to 50%, and now push it all the way to 145%.

Had he followed proper procedure, the initial 34% proposal might still be sitting in committee, waiting for approval.

03

That said, it’s not like the Democrats have been sitting on their hands.

Have you noticed how the U.S. media has been increasingly critical of Trump lately?

Or how the questions at his press conferences have become sharper and more aggressive?

Clearly, there’s someone working behind the scenes — fanning the flames and pushing the narrative forward.

What they’re really trying to drive home to the public is this: “At the end of the day, it’s the American people who foot the bill for these tariffs.”

Otherwise, many would continue to believe that tariffs are paid by the countries that manufacture the goods — without ever realizing that those costs are simply passed on to the product’s final price tag… and ultimately paid by U.S. consumers themselves.

As a result, no matter how Trump tries to spin it — saying things like “this will make America great again” or “higher tariffs mean more revenue for the U.S.” — the American public just isn’t buying it anymore.

Some even believe that his actions are actually accelerating the downfall of the United States. And frankly, judging by how things are playing out, it’s hard to argue otherwise.

But let’s not forget — he’s the President of the United States, not some fool. And his team of advisors? They’re not just sitting around doing nothing.

If they’ve chosen to push for higher tariffs, you can bet they’ve got their own little calculations behind it all.

Take an example: if the U.S. imposes high tariffs on Japan, does that automatically mean Japan’s exports will drop? Quite possibly. And that export slump could lead to a slowdown in Japan’s economy, followed by depreciation of the yen.

Now here’s where the trick comes in — even though the actual value of the U.S. dollar hasn’t changed, it becomes relatively stronger compared to the weakened yen.

So what does that mean in real life?

Well, maybe before, $100 could get you a night at a small guesthouse in Japan. But after the yen drops? That same $100 might get you a room at a luxury hotel.

That’s the power of a well-played economic combo move — even if it looks like a loss on the surface, someone’s definitely making gains behind the curtain.

Unfortunately for Trump, he couldn’t resist the temptation of money either.

Just days ago, his greedy grin after making a huge profit in the stock market sparked outrage across the board — not just from economists and everyday Americans, but even from some of his die-hard Republican supporters.

People started asking: “We supported you, and you’re using your position to cash out on the markets?”

Sure, the Democrats likely had a hand in amplifying the situation — but let’s be honest, all they really did was magnify what Trump himself put on display.

At the end of the day, this mess was of his own making.

As for his grand promise to “make America great again” — well, to put it plainly, what he really meant was:

“I want to keep U.S. hegemony firmly in place, no matter what it takes.”

04

But what Trump never expected was that his seemingly flawless plan would trigger a surge in U.S. Treasury yields — and not in a good way.

According to data, over $3 trillion in U.S. Treasury debt is set to mature this year, plus more than $1 trillion in interest payments.

In other words, the moment Trump returned to office, he was already staring down a $4 trillion bill — and he has to figure out how to pay it while still keeping the U.S. government running.

This isn’t the first time the U.S. has faced such pressure. In the past, the go-to solution was always the same:

“Print more dollars. Issue more debt.”

Let’s be real — this approach is essentially a Ponzi scheme.

But it worked for a long time, because global investors truly believed U.S. Treasury bonds were as reliable as gold. People were willing to buy in.

But now?

Trump’s constant flip-flopping on trade and tariffs has shattered U.S. credibility.

Investors are growing anxious, worried that at the end of the day, all they’ll hear is:

“The final interpretation lies with President Trump.”

Who would still dare to buy U.S. debt under those conditions?

In fact, some large holders are already quietly dumping their bonds while the market is still relatively stable.

Sure, at first, Wall Street bigwigs might try to step in and buy up those bonds to keep things afloat.

But what happens when more and more debt floods the market, and even the U.S. can’t absorb it all?

At that point, what awaits America is a nightmare scenario:

economic collapse, a government shutdown, and a formal declaration of bankruptcy.

And that’s exactly why Trump’s once tough stance on tariffs has suddenly softened — some might even call it backing down or surrendering.

Because the truth is, if the tariff policies spiral out of control, they might not just hurt the economy — they could start shaking the very foundations of U.S. financial stability.

And while a poorly handled tariff war might not stop him from staying in the White House,

a collapsing economy just might.

But if the U.S. debt crisis isn’t handled properly, then by the time the 2026 midterm elections roll around — when all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs — the Democrats could launch a fierce counterattack, wiping out the current Republican majority.

And if that happens, this businessman-turned-president might well become a “lame duck.”

Not only would he face constant roadblocks in decision-making, but there’s a real chance he could even face impeachment — and be forced to step down entirely.

05

So it’s likely that the tariff war between China and the U.S. won’t drag on for much longer.

After all, even Trump has started softening his tone — recently signaling, through his Secretary of Commerce, that “preliminary contact between China and the U.S. on tariffs has already taken place via a third party.”

Let’s not forget, he’s also said before, “I’m waiting for a call from China. I hope we can reach a deal.”

Truth is, he’s eager to end this tariff war — but pride keeps him from lowering his guard too quickly.

Still, with the U.S. economy continuing to unravel, the day America comes knocking — not with threats, but with an olive branch — probably isn’t far off.

And as for us? We’ve made our stance crystal clear:

“If you want to talk, our door is wide open. If you want to fight, we’ll see it through to the end.”

We’re open to dialogue — but only if the U.S. is ready to return to the table with mutual respect and an equal footing.