When Jack and the kids invented twitter I imagine they could have never imagined a President of the United States using the platform to lecture or invite leaders from around the world to meet. Yet, here we are in the “Age of Trump” and that is EXACTLY what is happening.

President Trump on Wednesday tweeted that the crisis in Hong Kong and the trade deal being negotiated with China are linked together and he would like to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping to discuss both.

According to the Wall Street Journal…

President Trump suggested a “personal meeting” with China’s President Xi Jinping to discuss the escalating crisis in Hong Kong and warned China it must respond “humanely” to the protests if it wants to strike a trade deal.

Mr. Trump’s statement via Twitter marked a shift in tone in his public statements regarding the situation in Hong Kong and for the first time linked the administration’s fragile trade talks with Beijing to the protests. The Wednesday evening tweets came amid growing concern within the administration that China would respond with military force to the antigovernment protests that have shut down Hong Kong’s major international airport for the past two days.

Fears over a potentially violent crackdown have prompted concern among lawmakers from both parties, some of whom have been unequivocal in their support for the protesters.

Here are the Presidents tweets…

Good things were stated on the call with China the other day. They are eating the Tariffs with the devaluation of their currency and “pouring” money into their system. The American consumer is fine with or without the September date, but much good will come from the short…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2019

Good things were stated on the call with China the other day. They are eating the Tariffs with the devaluation of their currency and “pouring” money into their system. The American consumer is fine with or without the September date, but much good will come from the short…..

..deferral to December. It actually helps China more than us, but will be reciprocated. Millions of jobs are being lost in China to other non-Tariffed countries. Thousands of companies are leaving. Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2019

..deferral to December. It actually helps China more than us, but will be reciprocated. Millions of jobs are being lost in China to other non-Tariffed countries. Thousands of companies are leaving. Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!

And the kicker…

I know President Xi of China very well. He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people. He is also a good man in a “tough business.” I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it. Personal meeting?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2019

I know President Xi of China very well. He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people. He is also a good man in a “tough business.” I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it. Personal meeting?

This is a huge risk for the President but it is one that is keeping in the tradition of The United States with supporting freedom movements all over the world.

The markets have taken a dive the past week since it was announced that trade talks had broken down between the U.S. and China. Tariffs are a drain on economies and the strongest thing the President has to offer in his reelection bid next year is a historic economy. His insistence of China playing by the rules that most other countries play by and doing it via tariffs on Chinese goods comes with great risk politically.

Now that he is adding that he could help with the situation in Hong Kong is an even bigger gamble. The Chinese have been issuing warnings to the United States to back off and have even accused the U.S. of orchestrating these protests. No country like others meddling in internal affairs but the Chinese are more paranoid than most.

Trump just took the risk that linking a trade deal with the freedom movement taking place in Hong Kong is more important than his political fortune at home. The Chinese may very well turn this down flat and walk away from any deal thus gambling that they won’t need to deal with Trump after Nov. 2020.

This is truly brazen stuff.

When watching protesters half the world away wave the American Flag and hold up signs asking for the American President to help their cause, you have to just marvel at the times we live in.

Twitter diplomacy just got REAL.

I hope the President not only sticks by his guns here but also is able to strike a deal and help push the Chinese to some kind of agreement so that the protestors are able to continue living in Hong Kong as they have since they broke off from Britain some two decades ago.

Twitter diplomacy is here to stay as long as Donald Trump is the 45th President and I hope the kids at twitter are enjoying every moment of it like the rest of us are.

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