The White House said Thursday that President Trump’s reversal on China’s status as a currency manipulator should be viewed as an effort to fight for Americans.
“The president’s tough talk on a variety of subjects was to get results for the American people,” said White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “This is always about developing a better situation for the American people, and I think he’s done that.”
During the campaign and even as recently as two weeks ago, Mr. Trump had blasted China for manipulating its currency to gain an edge on trade with the U.S. He promised as a candidate that he would label China as a currency manipulator, opening it up to possible punitive actions on trade.
But Wednesday, Mr. Trump said China isn’t manipulating its currency and he doesn’t intend to take any action against the Chinese. He also said he needs Beijing’s help in pressuring North Korea to back off its nuclear weapons program.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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