Trump Says White House Dealmaking Ends With Him as 2026 Midterms Near

2 articles · Updated · Fortune · May 18

“It’s not going to happen again,” Trump said in an Oval Office interview when asked whether a future president could sustain the White House’s dealmaking pipeline.
The remark came as he defended his transactional approach across trade, war and business, citing $149 billion in tariff repayments, interest-rate caution until “the war is over,” and regret that he “should have asked for more” in the Intel deal.
His comments landed just after a U.S.-China summit and before his Beijing trip, with Washington stressing Hormuz and trade while Beijing signaled bigger purchases could hinge on softer U.S. support for Taiwan.
The backdrop remains volatile: the Iran conflict has reached 80 days, the ceasefire has lasted 41 days, and Brent crude traded at $110 a barrel as markets watched for renewed escalation.

After a mysterious drone strike near a UAE nuclear plant, is the U.S.-Iran ceasefire on the brink of collapse?

With China offering a 'grand bargain,' is Taiwan's security now a negotiable asset in the U.S. quest for trade deals?

As Iran threatens to tax subsea internet cables, could the world's data become the next geopolitical bargaining chip?