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Trump Warns Hong Kong Protests Could Impact Trade Deal with China 'if it's Another Tiananmen Square'

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President Trump says he's looking to make a trade deal with China but he's not ready to sacrifice long-term gains for short-term results.

"If I wanted to make a bad deal and settle on China, the market would go up, but it wouldn't be the right thing to do. I'm just not ready to make a deal yet. China would like to make a deal. I'm not ready," the president told reporters Sunday.

And he's warning China if they make the wrong move with protestors in Hong Kong, that could be the end of negotiations.

"If it's another Tiananmen Square, I think it's a very hard thing to do if there is violence," said Trump. 

Over the weekend, a sea of more than 1 million peaceful protestors took over Hong Kong's Victoria Park after weeks of clashes with authorities and concerns over a possible military crackdown by China.

"Our demand is crystal clear and we hope President Xi will realize that sending troops to Hong Kong is not the way out," said one protestor.

Meanwhile, in the US, investors are anxious to see how the markets start the week after a roller-coaster ride last week.

The DOW clawed back 307 points Friday after a huge 800 point drop midweek.

The Trump administration is downplaying warnings from leading economists that a recession is brewing. "I don't see a recession at all," White House Chief Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News Sunday. 

"Consumers, first of all, they are working, second of all they are working at much higher wages, third of all they're spending, and fourth of all, they are saving even while they're spending," said Kudlow.

But the administration is calling for help from the Federal Reserve in the form of more rate cuts and looking to Congress to approve a key trade agreement.

"The other thing that needs to fall into place is the US-Mexico-Canada agreement. Let me just say, that's at least a point of growth," said White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro on CNN's State of the Union. 

The president's Democratic presidential challengers say his trade war is playing fast and loose with the economy and hurting the nation's farmers.

"It's also a fool's errand to think you are going to be able to get China to change the fundamentals of their economic model by poking them in the eye with some tariffs," presidential contender Pete Buttigieg told CNN. "There are some basic facts you can't escape and one of them is that American farmers are getting killed." 

But the Trump administration is encouraging Americans to be 'optimistic' saying they will continue teleconference talks with China this week and if that works out expect a visit from the Chinese soon.

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About The Author

Amber C.
Strong

Amber Strong joined the CBN News team in Washington, D.C., in 2014 as a producer and field producer. Currently, she works as a correspondent, producer, and backup anchor for "The Brody File." Her beat includes national politics and The White House. And while she loves her current backyard of Washington, D.C., she’s a Hoosier girl at heart. Amber lives and breathes all things entertainment and politics and has had the privilege of interviewing some of the biggest names in both industries, including late night host Jimmy Fallon and presidential contender Rick Santorum. However, her true love is