The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series The Art of Trump’s Trade Deal || Peter Zeihan
Why Lighthizer Declined Second Term as Trump's Trade Representative
Robert Lighthizer, the former US Trade Representative under Trump's first term, declined to return for a second term due to major structural challenges within the federal government and trade authority.
Trump's administration cleared out nearly all senior civil servants, leaving the bureaucracy dysfunctional and without institutional knowledge needed to implement trade policies. Meanwhile, the USTR office itself was dramatically slimmed down under Biden and never rebuilt.
Lighthizer faced having no deputies, no staff, and an expectation to negotiate hundreds of complex trade deals simultaneously, which is virtually impossible. This lack of support and resources was the main reason he passed on continuing, despite his expertise and past success in trade negotiations.
Lighthizer's Strategic Approach
- Robert Lighthizer preferred isolating China by uniting US allies before negotiating with China.
- This strategy was better than Trump's approach of simultaneous trade fights.
Bureaucracy Hollowed Out
- Trump fired nearly all senior civil servants, leaving government upper management nearly empty.
- This crippled federal bureaucracy's ability to carry out presidential orders.