By Reagan Steele – Business & Economic Policy Writer

Against a backdrop of a declining American industrial base and decades of unfair trade policies, President Trump promised to bring change, and he’s delivering. His knack for negotiations has been a game changer, and his recent success in renegotiating trade deals shows just how powerful his approach is.

Sacramento has felt the impact of this shift. What once were solid, middle-class jobs in manufacturing have slowly turned into gig economy positions. Many Sacramentans, who once had 40-hour work weeks with steady pay, now struggle to make ends meet. With the world watching, Trump took on the European Union, and while many expected his trade wars would hurt American consumers, what we’re seeing now is a much stronger negotiating position for the U.S.

In a stunning turn, a new deal with the EU has demonstrated Trump’s deal-making genius. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who at first seemed determined to resist Trump’s demands, now joins a growing list of nations—including Mexico—that have agreed to his terms. Under the new deal, the U.S. will not face tariffs on American goods, while European exports to the U.S. will be hit with a hefty 15% tariff. This shift is set to give American companies an edge in European markets, and perhaps more importantly, it means American workers will get a chance to recover lost ground.

Brussels has also agreed to invest $600 billion into U.S. industries, purchase $750 billion in American energy, and acquire “hundreds of billions of dollars” in U.S. weapons over the next three years. This is the kind of massive commitment that proves Trump’s reputation as a negotiator is not just talk.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban summed it up best: “This was no agreement… Trump ate Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast.”

The Europeans, who once talked tough about resisting Trump’s demands, ultimately folded like a house of cards. Russian officials weighed in as well, with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, stating, “Trump wiped the floor with Europe.”

Some critics point to the fact that American consumers may pay more for European goods under the new tariffs, but the flip side is that local businesses in Sacramento that sell products in Europe stand to benefit from increased market access. And all Americans can take pride in knowing that a tough, no-nonsense leader got us the respect we deserve on the world stage.