WASHINGTON — For more than a year, President Trump sought to bolster the spirits of farmers suffering under the weight of his trade war with China. With senior Chinese government officials looking on quizzically, Mr. Trump saluted some of his favorite informal advisers, China-whisperers and donors, doling out golf-course style ribbings while trumpeting a signature policy achievement. The call-outs went to millionaires and billionaires, whom that Mr. Trump used to publicly sneer at as a presidential candidate four years ago, marking a shift from his populist approach as he gears up for re-election. Among those singled out for recognition was Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chief executive of Blackstone Group, who speaks regularly with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — and has urged Mr. Trump to make peace with China. “Steve, I know you have no interest in this deal at all,” Mr. Trump said sarcastically, wondering why the billionaire investor was not up on the stage with his economic team.

Source: International New York Times January 16, 2020 00:11 UTC