Trump’s Extortion of Taiwan Has Already Begun

Useful to remind yourself there are real people in Taiwan—will they benefit from a gratuitous arms deal?

Fast fraud. The Financial Times reports that government officials from Taiwan have been in touch with the Trump campaign and his surrogates (MAGA/NatCon think tankers in the Trump orbit). Fearing abandonment, they want to make a massive weapons purchase from the US as a grand gesture of appeasement:

People familiar with the discussions said Taiwan could request as many as 60 F-35 fighters, four Advanced Hawkeyes, 10 retired warships and 400 Patriot missiles — a package…estimated would be worth more than $15bn.

This is mostly a terrible use of Taiwan defense spending. It’s also a sign that MAGA really is serious about prosecuting a wholly unserious—and dangerous—foreign policy. And they’re not even in office yet!

In the end, a lot of people are going to eat it so that Trump and his coterie can live out their perilous fantasies. Let me explain.