John Bolton’s book yesterday laid out Trump’s willingness to cave to China and reaffirmed his dangerous and self-interested approach to trade negotiations that led to the unprecedented health care crisis sweeping our nation.

But you don’t have to take Bolton’s word for it. Yesterday, Trump continued to take China at its word that they’re living up to their commitments in his trade deal, when in reality China has already fallen tens of billions of dollars short of the purchases he promised.

Trump claimed  that nobody has been tougher on China than him.

TRUMP: “Nobody has been tough on China like I have.”

Trump is still taking China at its word. Both he and his trade representative falsely claimed that China is living up to its trade deal commitments.

TRUMP: “We just made a great trade deal. They’re really buying a lot of product. I tell you they’re living up to the deal so far. They’re buying tremendous product from farmers and from manufacturers.”

LIGHTHIZER: “Every contact I’ve had with the Chinese, they have reaffirmed their commitment to living up to the agreement.”

China has fallen tens of billions of dollars behind on its commitments and is actually buying 25% less than it was before Trump’s failed trade war.

Politico’s Doug Palmer: “Thursday’s trade report showed U.S. goods exports to China through the first four months of 2020 only totaled $30.6 billion. That’s about 25 percent less than the $39.3 billion exported during the same period in 2017, the benchmark year for the U.S.-China trade deal.”

PIIE: “US exports of covered agricultural products were $4.2 billion, compared with a year-to date target of $11.1 billion. Through the first four months of 2020, China’s purchases were thus only at 38 percent (US exports) or 52 percent (Chinese imports) of their year-to-date targets.”

PIIE: “US exports of covered manufactured products were $15.4 billion, compared with a year-to-date target of $27.7 billion. Through the first four months of 2020, China’s purchases were thus only at 56 percent (US exports) or 53 percent (Chinese imports) of their year-to-date targets.”

Trump ignored warnings and wasted months buying the Chinese government’s spin on coronavirus to secure his failed trade deal.

TRUMP: “We did a trade deal and everybody was very happy.”

Politico: “Just days before the U.S. recorded its first death from Covid-19, Trump touted China’s government for its transparency and hard work to defeat the coronavirus that causes the illness.”