As costly as this course of action will prove to be, it isn’t hard to understand why Trump has continued down this treacherous path. The adverse consequences of the trade war so far have been contained. The president believes he has the leverage to bend Beijing to his will. And if he were to ease up on the pressure, Trump would be portrayed as weak by the dozen or more Democratic presidential aspirants hoping to outflank him with protectionist promises to win back Rust Belt voters.