CNN Quotes Clete Willems on Trump’s Options for Economy as Trade Dispute with China Continues

Clete Willems, partner in the public law and policy practice at Akin Gump, has been quoted in the CNN story “Trump has private concerns over the economy despite public displays of confidence.” According to CNN, President Trump, amid concerns over what has been his strongest political asset, has instructed aides to develop proposals to fortify Americans’ wavering confidence in the economy in case certain economic warning signs take a turn for the worse.

Many of those warning signs, the article reports, are the result of the trade war with China, with new tariffs spooking investors and adding to continued uncertainty. Mr. Trump, as CNN notes, can either sign on to a lesser deal with China than the one he originally sought or hold firm on tariffs, leading to further economic uneasiness.

Willems, a former White House trade official, said the President should hold firm, telling CNN, “You’ve got to notch some wins and give stability to the economy in other ways, but stay with China until you get it right.”