CHINA/ELECTION/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s trade war with China didn’t end with the congressional elections this week. Despite losing Republican control of the House, Trump is unlikely to see anything in the outcome that will persuade him to drop his hardball tactics with Beijing…Few Democrats ran against Trump’s handling of trade relations with China. One notable exception was Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota but it was not enough for her to hold onto her seat. Her Republican rival, Rep. Kevin Cramer, who has been one of the president’s strongest allies, handily won the election to unseat her in the Senate. In contrast, Trump made his trade fight with China an early part of his effort to nationalize the congressional races, although he focused more on illegal immigration in the closing weeks. Trump has accused Beijing of meddling in the election by targeting its trade retaliation at states that voted for him and Vice President Mike Pence. Both he and Pence made political hay out of Chinese advertising supplement inserted in the Sunday Sept. 23 edition of the Des Moines Register.”
–Doug Palmer, “Midterm results won’t deter Trump on China trade war,” Politico, November 7, 2018 1:35 pm