Trump said he would personally meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to put the finishing touches on a trade deal before the end of the month when his tariffs on over $250 billion in Chinese goods are set to increase from 10 to 25 percent.
Just yesterday, I posited that Trump's meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un at the end of the month did not leave much time to meet with President Jinping and it appears the White House has just now realized that.
White House officials who spoke to CNBC say it's "highly unlikely" that Trump will meet with President Jinping because there's just too much to do.
A meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is “highly unlikely” before the March 2 deadline for reaching a trade deal, according to a senior administration official.
While Trump and Xi are still expected to meet, there’s too much work to do to flesh out a deal with China and prepare Trump for a high-stakes meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Trump’s summit with Kim is set for Feb. 27-28.
Trump and Xi may still meet “shortly thereafter” March 2, said the official, who requested anonymity, citing a lack of authorization to speak publicly about the talks.
So, what does this mean for the deadline?
If Trump's deadline for higher tariffs were going to be delayed again, I believe this makes that more likely. It's also possible that Trump will forget about meeting with President Jinping and allow his lackeys to finish a deal.
It's also possible Trump will walk the economy off the cliff at the end of the month.
It really is anyone's guess.