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President Trump significantly escalated his trade war rhetoric on Friday with a series of tweets — just two days after tweeting that things were "great with China."

"Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing  your companies HOME and making your products in the USA."

The bottom line: It should go without saying that Trump doesn't have the authority to order U.S. companies to look for alternatives to China. 

Go deeper: China announces retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods

Trump tells American businesses to leave China

The president doesn't have the authority to give such an order.

Business

U.S. China trade war

Politics

Trade war

President Trump significantly escalated his trade war rhetoric on Friday with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a series of tweets" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1164914960046133249" data-vars-content-id="8bf3c125-94e8-4cb6-a2d6-d853f8edd08b" data-vars-headline="Trump tells American businesses to leave China" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1164914960046133249" target="_blank">a series of tweets</a> — just two days after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tweeting" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1164158321265451008" data-vars-content-id="8bf3c125-94e8-4cb6-a2d6-d853f8edd08b" data-vars-headline="Trump tells American businesses to leave China" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1164158321265451008" target="_blank">tweeting</a> that things were &quot;great with China.&quot;<blockquote>&quot;Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME and making your products in the USA.&quot;</blockquote>The bottom line: It should go without saying that Trump doesn&#x27;t have the authority to order U.S. companies to look for alternatives to China. Go deeper: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="China announces retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/us-china-trade-war-retaliatory-tariffs-75-billion-cf123005-4e57-4b44-b616-0ce789c792cb.html" data-vars-content-id="8bf3c125-94e8-4cb6-a2d6-d853f8edd08b" data-vars-headline="Trump tells American businesses to leave China" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/us-china-trade-war-retaliatory-tariffs-75-billion-cf123005-4e57-4b44-b616-0ce789c792cb.html" target="_self">China announces retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods</a>

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.