The Nordstrom flagship in Seattle. Photograph by Joe Mabel.
President Donald J. Trump campaigned on the notion of a new deal, as it were, for the American worker.
So why is the American worker under siege three weeks into his presidency?
He has threatened to impose a 20-percent tariff on Mexican imports, which would no doubt ensure tariffs on American exports to Mexico like corn and soy.
He has instigated a ban on seven Muslim countries – a ban whose stay the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has just upheld – which would threaten American universities and a tech industry that relies on the best and the brightest worldwide.
And he has shamed a major retailer, Nordstrom, for dropping daughter Ivanka’s line – Neiman Marcus has dropped her jewelry – thereby giving pause to those who would do business with and in America.
All of which do not bode well for the American consumer and worker, who have an interdependent relationship.
The Nordstrom kerfuffle – which involved Congress criticizing Kellyanne Conway for urging Americans to buy Ivanka’s products – was particularly insightful as it suggested Trump has forgotten the cardinal rules of salesmanship, his erstwhile profession. You can catch more flies with the proverbial honey than you can with vinegar. You only turn tough when the negotiations go sour.
Nordstrom’s critics have suggested that they dropped Ivanka, because of her father. If that’s true, it’s only indirectly. Stores care about the bottom line and their reputations as inclusive, service-oriented companies, the two being interdependent. Is it any surprise, then, that they would drop a brand whose poor performance was linked to an oft-putting message of prejudice, fear-mongering and disrespect? It doesn’t matter how attractive and modern Ivanka and her ideas are. What matters is that she is part of the truculent Trump White House. That is her day job as Trump’s is to be president of the United States. Now he has to suck up to China’s President Xi Jingping after he dissed the “One China” policy by taking with the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, outraging China, which sees the island of Taiwan as part of mainland China. (Xi had played it cool and so the White House sent him a letter wishing him a happy new year, blah, blah, blah. Thursday night, Trump acknowledged the One China policy in a call with Xi. )
All this betrays a certain confusion and desperation as did the Ivanka defense. Of course, we wouldn’t be in this position – which is a position of weakness – had Trump not acted as if we don’t need these people.
Countries need allies and trading partners just as surely as stores need customers.
No one gets anywhere without at least pretending to play nice.