DON SURBER: Japan backs USA in Red China trade war. “Japan just agreed to buy all our surplus corn. This is its way of backing us in our trade war with Red China. . . . President Trump is taking on Red China and I believe Japan is not the only nation that wants him to succeed. As timing is everything in politics and comedy, President Trump knew he had this deal heading into the G-7. This allowed him to slap tariffs on Red China ahead of the summit. But remember, his tariff moves come with a deadline, which allows the tariffed nation time to avoid them. Tariffs are a negotiating tool. The idea of a rogue president is a journalistic fantasy to help reporters cope with the reality that President Trump is doing a whale of a job.”

It’s certainly true that the notion of an irrational Trump who lashes out petulantly with no strategic plan is a comforting illusion of his critics, not supported by the record.