Krauthammer on both presidential candidates abandoning free trade

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Krauthammer on candidates and trade

Charles Krauthammer said that, as both presumptive presidential nominees – Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton – have expressed concerns about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade deals more generally, our allies have a lot to lose come 2017

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said Wednesday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that as both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have expressed concerns about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade deals more generally, our allies have a lot to lose come 2017.

“If the Republicans are now abandoning free trade, for the first time ever in our memory, we're having a presidential campaign where neither side is for free trade,” Krauthammer said, adding, “Which I think bodes really badly for our allies abroad, the Australians, the Canadians, the Mexicans.”

Krauthammer went on to describe how a more narrow trade policy could impact allies like our neighbors to the south.

“Imagine the Mexicans looking at the cancellation of NAFTA, what effect it would have on them,” he said, concluding, “[Our allies] always assumed the United States would be the one country that would rise above the most narrow, economic nationalism, and save the idea of free trade. That's not going to be true come January 2017. And that will change the whole international landscape.”