China has left President Trump twisting in the wind on tariffs, declaring it is not engaged in any negotiation with the U.S. as the tariffs take a political and economic toll on Washington.

Trump and the White House insist the U.S. and China are making progress toward a deal, but they’ve provided no concrete proof. Chinese officials have shot down those claims and chastised the Trump administration's approach.

While markets were up on Thursday, the trade war has done economic damage to the U.S. and political damage to Trump.

The S&P is down 10 percent from when Trump was inaugurated, while fears of a U.S. recession have grown. Fears about the power of the dollar have also been on the rise.

Trump’s approval ratings have fallen since the trade war began.

Decision Desk HQ/The Hill showed Trump’s average approval rating above 50 percent for the first days of his presidency, but by late April, his average approval rating had fallen under 45 percent.

The most prominent reason Trump’s approval is falling is the economy, a strength of Trump’s just last year. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday found Trump’s approval on the economy at 37 percent, the lowest rating of either of his terms.

Trump has also increasingly signaled a willingness to move on the tariffs, suggesting this week they would be lowered as he came under pressure from a wobbly bond market and........

© The Hill