Evil prejudice
Trump is just an actor playing on behalf of big business, now he's is playing the role of the evil character and what does an evil character in the public minds is always considered negative. They are just using him as a brainwashing tools to persuade us that tariffs on China imports are bad. The discussion with China is mishandled on purpose. The timing of the most defiant announcements coincides with the peak values on the stock market, obviously the bankers warn him behind the doors that they are going to cash on recent gains and the markets will drop for a while.
In the meantime, while this comedy goes on to persuade us that tariffs on China imports are bad, the Chinese with the belt and roads initiative are building their infrastructure to export towards Europe, not the US.