Trump Has Zero Leverage Over China in Friday Visit Sachs Warns
"None that I can see. None. Nothing. I don't see any of it. He tried last year a trade war. It lasted about 24 hours. China matched the U.S. tariffs, and it raised the stakes with restrictions on rare earth magnet exports. The United States backed down."
About this episode
On this May 11, 2026 episode of Judging Freedom, host Judge Andrew Napolitano interviewed Professor Jeffrey Sachs about the catastrophic economic and geopolitical consequences of what Sachs called the Trump-Netanyahu war on Iran. Sachs opened with a devastating assessment that the war achieved none of its stated objectives—not regime change, unconditional surrender, nor elimination of Iran's nuclear or missile capabilities—and was premised on a delusional expectation that a decapitation strike would produce a pliant Iranian government. The economist exposed massive discrepancies in war costs, dismissing the government's $25 billion figure as fraudulent accounting when Congressional supplemental requests totaled $200 billion and defense budget increases approached half a trillion dollars. Sachs accused Trump of selling American policy to donor constituencies—Big Oil, the Israel lobby, and Silicon Valley defense contractors—who profit from the conflict while ordinary Americans suffer 50% oil price increases and cascading costs in food and consumer goods. He described Israel's economy as having transformed into a war machine profiting from sales of assassination services, Mossad operations, and surveillance systems to foreign governments, with its stock market booming despite mass emigration. Regarding the broader global impact, Sachs explained that while Russia enjoys windfall oil profits, it has played a responsible diplomatic role urging de-escalation. China, he argued, faces minimal impact due to its rapid transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy, with the country now installing more solar capacity annually than the rest of the world combined. Most significantly, Sachs stated Trump has zero leverage over China ahead of his planned Friday visit, citing the failed 24-hour trade war where Beijing forced American capitulation. The episode concluded with Sachs's prescription: Trump should simply stop the blockade, open the Strait of Hormuz, and withdraw, regardless of whether he acknowledges the mistake.
Key takeaways
- Sachs dismissed the government's $25 billion war cost as fraudulent, citing $200 billion Congressional supplementals and half-trillion defense increases as the real figure.
- Trump directly accused of selling policy to Big Oil, Israel lobby, and Silicon Valley donors who profit from war while Americans suffer economically.
- Israel's economy described as transformation into military garrison state profiting from sales of assassination services and surveillance systems globally.
- The Iran war achieved zero stated objectives and was based on delusional belief that decapitation strikes would create compliant Iranian government.
- Trump has no leverage over China in Friday visit after failed trade war where Beijing forced U.S. capitulation within 24 hours.
- Oil prices rose 50% from $70 to over $100 per barrel, with cascading effects on food, fertilizer, and consumer goods globally.
- China installing more solar capacity annually than rest of world combined, accelerating energy transformation away from oil dependence amid crisis.