Apr 12, 2017 - Politics & Policy

Trump vs Trump on China's currency manipulation

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

In an interview with the WSJ Wednesday, President Trump said the Chinese are "not currency manipulators." He used to feel differently:

@realDonaldTrump Oct. 2011: "When will Washington stand up to China. China is manipulating its currency and stealing our jobs. Washington should move on legislation."

@realDonaldTrump Dec. 2011: "When will the US government finally classify China as a currency manipulator? China is robbing us blind and @BarackObama defends them."

@realDonaldTrump Oct. 2012: "Once again Obama fails to classify China as a currency manipulator. He just helped China steal even more jobs and money from us."

@realDonaldTrump Jan 2012 "Getting China to stop playing its currency charades can begin whenever we elect a president ready to take decisive action. #TimeToGetTough"

@realDonaldTrump March 2012: "While China screws us with every turn of its currency, is the biggest commercial espionage threat we face, continues its deplorable human rights abuses, and @BarackObama's response is to roll out the red carpet? #TimeToGetTough"

@realDonaldTrump June 2012: "China's new AND ADVANCED currency manipulation is killing the U.S. Help!"

@realDonaldTrump Feb. 2013: "As China is built on corporate espionage, currency manipulation & cheap labor, its economy is a ticking time bomb."

@realDonaldTrump April 2015: "China has a backdoor into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This deal does not address currency manipulation. China is laughing at us."

@realDonaldTrump Dec. 2016: "Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into... their country (the U.S. doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!"

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