It’s not clear whether Mexico and Canada played President Donald Trump in his tariffs war, but it sure seems so – at least, temporarily.

Trump is boasting that Mexico and Canada buckled to his 25% tariff after a head-spinning clash with America’s largest trading partners.

At least for now, Mexico and Canada have outsmarted Trump by bolstering border security with measures already underway or that can easily be carried out.

I love that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau twisted Trump’s ego to back off for 30 days. They obviously figured out that he hates bad press and hates spooking the stock market even more.

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All that, no doubt, played a role in Trump agreeing Monday to hold back on imposing a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods if those countries don’t stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration, which are just an excuse for Trump’s bigger endgame.

Opinion:Americans may bear the brunt of Trump's tariffs – again. Here's where they'll cost you.

In the face-saving deals, Mexico agreed to deploy 10,000 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border, and Canada agreed to reinforce the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, including appointing a fentanyl czar, listing cartels as terrorists and creating a joint strike force to combat organized crime.

A huge victory for Trump? Sure, let him believe that.

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